When Snow Kisses the Earth
by AutumnMobile12
Summary: The ideals of Central clash with his love for her.  The trials of her past warn her that he is not to be trusted. [Lenalee x Link]
1. When Snow Kisses the Earth

Chapter 1: When Snow Kisses the Earth

It was snowing the day she first asked him to dance.

He remembered staring down at her, completely off guard as she graced him with her sweet smile and held out her hand for him to take. They'd never really spoke until that day, foregoing brief greetings as they passed one another in the Order's echoing halls. Nothing that would have prompted a dance in the courtyard. Link turned to Walker in askance, but his ward was sitting on the steps chatting with the scientist, Johnny Gill, and oblivious to his current predicament. Typical. General Tiedoll was no more help, sitting with his legs crossed as he sketched the snowy courtyard.

And Miss Lee was waiting patiently for his answer.

He knew how to dance; that wasn't the issue. It would be rude to refuse a lady. He glanced around once more, then slowly rose to his feet and dusted snow off his coat. Miss Lee's smile widened as he descended the cathedral's front steps and took her hand. By then, Walker and Gill had gone quiet, but he ignored them and dipped his head in a polite bow. That seemed to surprise the lady, but she gripped the ends of her black coat and bent her knees in a delicate curtsey. Until today, he'd never had the honor of dancing with an apostle of God, he thought as he placed his free hand around her back and over her shoulder blade. From the corner of his eye, Gill suddenly leapt up and ran back inside, snapping General Tiedoll's concentration. He felt Miss Lee's hand on his shoulder and, after a pause, stepped forward. They didn't have music, so taking the lead was an uncomfortable venture.

The lady exorcist was a strong dancer, he quickly noticed. She kept her head erect and staring over his right shoulder, and her feet made precise movements as they stepped and circled about the cobblestones. She neatly followed his lead in the silence, but when he released her shoulder to let her move in an underarm turn, her foot suddenly caught a patch of ice and she slipped. Link cried out in alarm, rushing forward and helping her back to her feet, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She brushed off her long, black coat. "Again." This time, she took the first step back before allowing him to resume the lead. Basic steps back, then a neat spin, basic step, then underarm turn again, this time without accident.

Then a song began to fill the winter air, drawing both their attention to the cathedral steps. The scientist, Johnny Gill, had returned with a violin in hand and was playing a tune as smooth and natural as silver stardust, a song that somehow reminded him of midnight snow in the courtyards of crumbling castles. Part of him was wondering where the little scientist had obtained the instrument, and the other part strongly expected Miss Lee to burst into laughter at the absurdity and break away to sit with the violinist on the steps.

But she didn't.

She just kept dancing, and her smile grew even wider and her footsteps became even lighter as they waltzed. Somewhere above their heads a window swung open and the keening of a second violin joined the first. Looking up, he saw it was the Romanian exorcist, Lord Arystar Krory III, leaning over his dormant flower box and grinning down at them. General Tiedoll quickly turned to a fresh page in his sketchbook and began a frenzied scribbling. Walker leaned over to watch and more windows began to open up, the residents investigating the source of such a merry commotion. He saw the window beside Krory's slam open and Yu Kanda's dark head appeared, strangely curious instead of angry, and he leaned against the windowsill, cupping his chin in his hand as he studied the scene below. On the floor above them was another window opened a crack and the timid Miss Lotto poked her head out.

Through it all, Miss Lee's lovely smile never faded. She was a beautiful woman, and he'd considered her so since the day they met. He may have been apathetic to beauty and grace, but he was not blind to it. He thought it was rather fetching how the white feathers dusted her ebony black hair and sprinkled her long eyelashes. The way her bright red scarf hugged her slender throat. Or how her dark eyes glistened when she smiled. She was quite lovely. Quarter turn now, then the underarm spin again.

Twice more, she slipped or skidded on a patch of snow and ice, and then fell, crying out and laughing as he caught her and pulled her upright again.

"Smile!" General Tiedoll suddenly called. "Pretend you love her."

It took all his self-control not to disrespect the elder with a glare.

Basic step, quarter turn, spin, then one misstep in the ice and he skidded, throwing his arms out to stop his fall. Miss Lee grabbed his hands, but the song came to a clumsy end as the two violins fell tragically out of harmony. Gill was laughing hysterically on the stone steps, and when he was unable to recover, the harmony crashed into a wretched cacophony of squealing strings until the spectators were shouting for both musicians to end it. Kanda went so far as to slam his window shut. Then Miss Lee slipped for a fourth time, unwittingly stepping into the same patch of ice he had and they both collapsed to the cobblestones. The lady exorcist landed on her back, shrieking in laughter as she stared up at the sky over their heads. Link landed hard on his left shoulder and groaned, listening to the hooting laughs echoing across the courtyard, the closest of which was Walker's as he rose from his seat and approached to help his fellow accommodator off the ground.

"You okay?" He asked with a grin.

Unable to speak through her laughter, Miss Lee nodded and wiped away the mirthful tears that had escaped her eyes, which only made the others cackle harder than ever. Link, seemingly forgotten, climbed back to his feet and primly brushed snow off his coat sleeves as the lady gripped two handfuls of her black coat and made a flamboyant curtsy for her applauding friends.

"Bravo, beautifully done!" General Tiedoll folded his sketchbook and stepped down to join them. "I haven't seen a performance that spectacular since Larue's rendering of 'The Maiden and the Moon' I was fortunate enough to see in Amsterdam."

Link frowned at the oddity of the compliment. "General, I beg your pardon, but I hardly think an unrehearsed, amateurish, and altogether clumsy waltz in the courtyard can measure up to that of professional actors in a well-scripted theatrical work." But the old man was not listening and had instead turned to praise Gill and Lord Krory's violin skills, asking where they'd learned to play and so on. A cloud of breath left Link's lips as he rubbed his now sore shoulder, ignoring the little scientist's tale of how his uncle had taught him to play and of the Count's claim he was self-taught. _No matter._ He thought as he stepped back to where he'd left his notes.

Yet before he could sit down, a finger tapped his shoulder and he turned to find Miss Lee standing behind him. "Thank you." She said. "I'm sorry if I caused a distraction, I just—"

He turned to face her and nodded his head in a polite bow. "The pleasure was mine, Lady Exorcist."

Miss Lee curtsied again and had gone back to the others before he turned around, her coat kicking up snow as she joined her friends. He watched her go in silence, her sweet smile still fixed in his memory. General Tiedoll put a hand on her shoulder and said something Link didn't quite care to catch as he knelt and picked up his notebook.

 _Smile, pretend you love her._ He cleared his throat. Dancing and pretending he loved her was the least of his concerns. He was more worried about how long it would be before he had to pretend he didn't.

-0-0-0-

Author's Notes: This story is inspired by the song 'Hunter' written by Heather Dale.

D Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	2. Really, That One?

The chapters listed in 'When Snow Covers the Earth' are written in no particular order. This one, for instance, takes place some time before chapter one.

D Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.

...

Chapter 2: Really, That One?

It was impossible to keep secrets from her oldest friend. Through all the trials and hardships the two of them had faced together since childhood, understanding the others' thoughts and feelings was inevitable. They noticed everything in each other. No matter how subtle she was…even if she just carried on with her day without any unusual remarks or silences, even if _all_ she did was sneak a second glance at Link when he and Allen passed them in the corridor, Kanda noticed.

Lenalee's heart leapt clear into her throat as her leg caught against something solid. She didn't stand a chance; her momentum sent her headlong toward the steps, free falling into what should've been a painful heap at the bottom of the stairwell had a firm hand not grabbed the back of her uniform. Lenalee cried out as she jerked to a halt, a strong sense of vertigo briefly challenging her stomach before she regained herself and yelled, "What are you doing, Kanda?"

The elder exorcist ignored her, his black eyes focused on something behind them and Mugen now resting across his shoulders. She knew what he was frowning at. She could tell from the mix of emotions on his face: disbelief, amusement, astonishment. He was on to the secret she'd only been able to keep for about three days and seven hours. Not bad, all things considered, but still…

"Really?" Kanda turned to look at her again, gesturing with his katana. " _That_ one?"

Lenalee kicked at his leg before planting her feet on the step and standing upright again. She followed her friend's gaze down the hall, but Allen and the Inspector had disappeared down a corner. The library, most likely. They were usually in the library at this time of day. Lenalee nervously brought her hands to her elbows and studied her feet, feeling her cheeks flush.

Kanda took her confirmation with a raised eyebrow, "You spent over half your life terrified of them, and to top it off, you've got eyes for Leverrier's faithful dog." She could hear the grin in his voice before she even raised her head. "When did that happen?"

Forget when, she was still hung up on the why. She'd never really spoken to the Inspector, never exchanged pleasantries of any kind before, nor had Lenalee felt any particular desire to. Crows were Crows. Elephants in the room. Uncomfortable shadows. Air. And that was a sentiment shared by all the exorcists who'd suffered at their hands in one way or another. The Crows knew it, too. From the moment Link had first introduced himself, she'd hated him on sight, and even more so when she realized Allen was Central's target this time.

And yet, three days ago in the library, when she found her younger comrade and his shadow seated at one of the tables in the back.… Well, she'd said hello to Allen, just as she normally did, and then, after a moment's hesitation, she murmured a quiet 'good morning' to Link as well. The Inspector raised his head in surprise and she felt herself automatically smiling at him. Normally, she just ignored him, and vice versa, but that day, it had suddenly felt awkward greeting Allen while dismissing the Inspector's presence altogether.

"Good morning, Miss Lee." Link had nodded politely once he recovered.

"So what are you two doing?"

Allen had taken over from there, oblivious to the meaning behind the exchange, and explained something about how they were going over the details from the Mater Assignment last year.

The exchange barely lasted two minutes at most, and yet for some annoying reason, she found she was having trouble getting the Crow Inspector out of her head. Any time she heard his voice since, it always sent a shiver down her spine. He rarely glanced her way, yet when he did, she found herself praying her face was nowhere near as red as it felt. In the rare moments they spoke, her words somehow became caught in her throat, spilling out of her mouth in a clumsy and often unintelligible pile. And now, she'd been stealing second glances that had been her undoing with Kanda.

"It's just a little infatuation." Lenalee nervously hugged herself, hoping to quiet the moths in her stomach. "You won't tell anyone, will you?" If Komui found out, there would be no end of trouble.

The elder accommodator permitted a small smile, more out of amusement than understanding, and wryly asked, "Who would I possibly tell?"

It was impossible to keep secrets from her oldest friend.

All that mattered was her oldest friend kept her secrets from everyone else.


	3. Imprudent

Chapter 3: Imprudent

"It's really coming down, huh." Lenalee murmured, mostly to herself, as she stared out the rain-streaked window of the train car. A streak of lightning silently spiderwebbed across the sky, followed by a crack of thunder moments later.

"Indeed." Link answered from his seat across from her. Lenalee turned to him, but the Inspector hadn't raised his head from his book. Beside him was Allen, fast asleep with Timcanpy curled up on his shoulder and then Timothy had his head in his lap. Lenalee's throat tightened at the sight of the stark white bandage around the boy's head, the result of a death narrowly avoided. She shuddered at the memory of his measly Level II Akuma laying damaged and unable to move. She and General Cloud Nyne had run as fast as they could as the larger and stronger Level III came forward with a vicious sickle in hand, but it was Allen who saved Timothy. By making an unauthorized Gate, Allen made the fifteen meter distance between him and Timothy in a fraction of a second and dispatched their assailant.

Lenalee sighed. No doubt Central would have something to say about that, too, and she hated to admit it, but she privately agreed. The speed at which Allen could create Ark Gates now…she prayed it wasn't a precursor of what was to come.

After the assignment had been completed, Cloud Nyne had vanished, visibly shaken and upset, as soon as they reached the train station. The nearest established Gate was in Verona, two cities away and amounting to a long train ride home.

"Do you think Cloud Nyne is okay?" Lenalee asked.

Outside, the whistle howled against the wind, and the only movement she saw in the Inspector was him raising his eyes. "I'm sure the General is fine."

Lenalee smiled in spite of herself. Right. She had to be okay. Timothy was fine, and Cloud Nyne was strong. If she needed to take a moment to collect herself, then she was welcome to it. After all—

"She's too emotional."

 _What?_ Lenalee stared at the Inspector, her heart growing cold. _What did he just…_

Link was not looking at her. He was simply turning a page in his book and stating in a completely flat and dead voice, "Apostles of God, especially Generals, are the vanguard and forerunners of the Holy War, and therefore should display a more dignified bearing." There was no emotion. No life. She swallowed, anger swelling in her chest. "To lose their composure in battle is not only a failing as an exorcist but also as a representative of the Church. Furthermore—"

Lenalee punched him.

It was almost a mindless action, a reflex that left her as stunned as the Inspector. Link stared at her, both dismayed she'd hit him and that she'd managed to succeed. Crows were exceptional combatants. Landing a hit like that and catching one off guard was damn near impossible. _I suppose it pays to have trained with Kanda since I was a child._ Lenalee thought. Then pain seemed to catch up with shock, and Link gingerly touched his rapidly swelling nose and Lenalee began cradling her bruised hand.

"What gives you the right to judge us for our moments of weakness?" She asked bitterly, glaring at him even as she rubbed circles into her knuckles. "Cloud Nyne lost all three of her apprentices in one battle. They were all good people—funny, brave, caring—and they were great exorcists. Is it wrong for us to mourn our friends and comrades? Is it! They gave their lives fighting our enemy, and yet you scorn Cloud Nyne for being shaken up after nearly losing Timothy!" She turned away in disgust, muttering a few choice curses in her native language. The Inspector merely dug around in his coat for a handkerchief and pressed it to his bleeding nose. Neither Allen nor Timothy seemed disturbed by the conflict, both still fast asleep.

When Lenalee could think of nothing more to say, she pointedly turned her eyes to the window, her anger boiling now. _Damn you, Crow. Corpse-eating bastard._ She shut her eyes. This was going to lead to a scolding for sure. Losing her temper and punching a Central agent? Come on, even Kanda knew better than that. Of course, with her past record of openly defying Central, she might get off with a simple chastisement, but…it was possible they'd slap her with a shadow of her own, just to prove a point. Either way, it wasn't going to go well for her. On the other hand, her golem had recorded the entire conversation…maybe she could claim she'd been provoked? No, that was ridiculous, she—

"I'm sorry."

Lenalee's eyes snapped open.

"You're right." The Inspector nodded, still pinching his bloodied nose. "That was…that was inconsiderate of me. I beg your pardon for my harsh words, Miss Lee."

She didn't answer, unused to reactions like this, though her eyes softened a little. _Why do you look at us like we're just weapons? Is it so hard to believe we love and feel pain the same as you do? Or at the very least, the same as you should?_ In the short time they'd known him, she'd never seen Link laugh or smile, as though that disapproving scowl of his was permanently stitched to his countenance. Was he the ideal disposition Central wished for the exorcists to display? "Why can't you just let us be human?" She murmured, half to herself.

"Pardon?"

"Never mind."

Following some hesitation, Link returned to his book, flipping back to his lost page and still clutching the handkerchief to his nose. Lenalee winced. That had to have hurt. She hadn't even bothered holding back there. As if on cue, the Inspector closed his eyes, furrowing his brow and letting out an almost inaudible groan. _He is okay, right? I mean, he deserved it, but…_ Link raised his eyes, and Lenalee quickly turned to the window. _He deserved it. Why should I care if he's in pain, he—_

"Miss Lee, I—"

But he was cut off by the carriage door clattering open to admit Cloud Nyne, her ever serious face looking them over. Lenalee and Link raised their heads in surprise, but the General's only slightly-red eyes focused on the Inspector and his bloody nose for a fraction of a second. She did not ask. Crows were Crows. Why should she care if one of Central's vermin was bleeding like a faucet. Cloud Nyne turned to Lenalee, her eyes cold and unfeeling. "How is Timothy?"

"He's fine." Lenalee assured her. "He was out before we even left the station."

The Lady General nodded curtly, Lau Jimin chittering on her shoulder, and she took a seat next to Lenalee, crossing her legs and arms as well as closing her eyes. "I just heard from the conductor. Due to poor weather conditions, we won't be in Verona until tomorrow, so the train will be having a brief layover in the next town."

"We're expected to be back tonight." Link pointed out. "I'll—"

"Then walk, Crow." Cloud Nyne nodded her head. "The rest of us will get some sleep."

A silence descended over the carriage before the Inspector continued, "I was going to say, I'll make the call to Central explaining the situation."

The General didn't answer. "H-How is Timothy?"

"He's just fine." Lenalee repeated and smiled.

Link said nothing.

-0-0-0-

Author's Notes: Is Lenalee out of character punching Link? I don't really think so. She has slapped Allen and punched Lavi before, and let's not forget about the time she smacked Kanda with a clipboard. And the time she ruined Sir Komlin, then kicked it and her brother into the abyss of the Old Headquarters. …okay, I'm starting to realize Lenalee has a violent soul and growing up with Kanda may have had more of an influence on her than I previously thought.

Just a moment of anger and misunderstanding between two people from very different upbringings. Every relationship has its rocks.

D Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	4. Poker Row

Chapter 4: Poker Row

Just when he thought the depravity of the exorcists couldn't sink even lower, Bookman Jr just had to suggest a poker match. As Link stood at the edge of a circle of card players, most of them in some state of underdress or another, he couldn't help but wonder why they all subjected themselves to such humiliation when it was clear Walker was cheating. However, no one had said this out loud nor had anyone confronted the white-haired card shark, even when he inexplicably ended up with all the good cards in _every single hand dealt_.

They were in the mess hall, arranged in a circle on the stone floor, cards in hand and a growing pile of clothes behind Walker, who was smiling like a child at a carnival. The remainder of the players, Bookman Jr, Lord Krory, Han, and Kanda—the latter was a huge surprise—were frowning at their cards in concentration so deep it was almost comical.

"So who's winning?" Asked a soft voice to his left. Startled, Link turned to find Miss Lee standing beside him, holding a book to her chest and surveying the scene with a light smile. "Let me guess: it's Allen."

"Through fraudulent means, yes." He nodded and returned his attention to the card players.

The young lady shrugged her shoulders and broadened her smile. "Well, cut him a break. This is his…habit, I suppose. Besides, he's getting a run for his money now."

"How's that?" Link frowned, and as soon as the query left his lips, Bookman Jr. presented a royal flush with a flourish and a cheeky grin. Kanda and Han had folded, while Krory and Walker…Walker had dropped his grin and now wore a disconcerted look on his face. One reminder that rules were rules later, and his charge removed the tie around his neck and added it to the pile. Krory did the same with his vest. Link turned to Miss Lee. "You know something."

"They know full well what Allen's doing, so Krory, Kanda, and Lavi have formed a three-man team to give him a taste of his own medicine, and it appears their efforts are having some effect."

"Then what about Mr. Han?"

Miss Lee frowned. "Honestly, I think Chaoji walked in on this without having any idea what was going on. That or he's the decoy."

"I see." Link nodded as Kanda began dealing cards, and this time, he noticed the small mirror hidden next to his foot, revealing to the exorcist who was getting which cards. Walker noticed it, too, and his disconcerted expression became one of renewed determination, a slight smile crossing his face as he silently accepted the others' challenge. "Do they have to play here, though? I'm not opposed to men playing cards, but strip poker in broad daylight in the middle of the mess hall? What if a lady should walk in and see this?"

" _I'm_ a lady."

"My apologies," He shot her a wry smile. "I was referring to more delicate women who haven't been roughhousing with adolescent males since they were children."

"Well," Miss Lee giggled, but then Walker suddenly lay down his cards, claiming the winning hand. "Allen, you just called your third full house in a row. You're not even _trying_ to hide it anymore."

"What are you talking about?" The young man laughed sheepishly. "That was pure luck this time, I swear."

"Bullshit, Sprout!" Kanda shouted, throwing his second boot at him. He was down to his trousers now.

"Anyway," Miss Lee turned back to Link, "The bathhouse is co-ed on occasion. My brother likes to throw certain substances in the men's bathwater, so when it looks suspicious, the guys just borrow the ladies' room. Works out okay as long as you keep your eyes and hands to yourself."

Well, that certainly explained why he'd seen a pair of male finders leaving the ladies' bathhouse last night. But it still…

He must've been making an amusing face, for the young woman broke into a grin. "That was joke. Don't worry, we've got an unofficial established schedule handy for taking turns when stuff like that happens."

"All the same," Link let out a long sigh as the cards were dealt again, and he could've sworn he saw Bookman Jr. sliding one up his sleeve. Of all four players against Walker, he was faring the best, having only lost his headband and one boot throughout the game. "I think I'll take care to avoid invading the privacy of the ladies' washroom."

"Whatever makes you feel better." Miss Lee smiled.

They watched the hand in silence for a time, wordlessly catching the moment when Krory passed a hidden card of his own to Bookman Jr., who in turn passed it and his hidden card to Kanda. Wagers were placed, cards were flipped; clearly, they had formulated a plan of sorts, but it was all for naught when Walker laid out four of a kind and caught them all off guard.

"Christ." Bookman Jr. peeled off his shirt and threw it at his friend. "If we were playing for money, I'd be up to my ears in debt."

"Speak for yourself." Walker retorted, tossing the shirt into the pile. "I'm up to my ears in your laundry."

"That's it." Kanda threw down his cards and stood up to leave. "I'm out. You lot can keep playing."

"Hey, come on, Yu! At least finish the match!"

"Rabbit, I had no idea you were so eager to see me without my pants."

"Allen." Lord Krory said, looking down his nose at the younger man in the most aristocratic and superior way possible, "If I'm stripped down to my polka-dotted undershorts again, I'll break your fingers."

Walker's spine seemed to stiffen at the threat and he turned to his senior in alarm, "You can't—"

"Indeed he can, Walker." Link spoke up. His charge, and everyone present, Kanda including, turned to him. "If you see fit to win at poker using any means necessary, then isn't it only fair you allow others to do the same? If you want to cheat, that's your business. If Krory wants to win using threats, then he's welcome to it."

"Well said." Lord Krory smiled pleasantly at Walker. "Shall we continue then?"

"You're cheating?" Han demanded, prompting Kanda to turn and stare at him in disbelief. "I had a feeling you were, but no one said anything…"

"I swear, whenever you open your mouth…" Kanda grumbled under his breath and conveniently took a seat at the table behind Walker to watch the rest of the game.

Link cracked a small grin. He couldn't help it. Walker took no notice of the snitch behind him, though Timcanpy did and stretched his little mouth in a toothy smile. The remaining players continued, Krory and Bookman Jr now joined by Han, who 'wanted to crush the cheating, little bastard.' All three of them took cues from Kanda, who was cleverly sitting with his back facing away from Walker, feigning disinterest and also also allowing for room to maneuver. Whilst Walker was focused on his cards, so was Kanda. Whenever Allen sensed the extra pair of eyes and turned around to investigate, Kanda was facing the table yet again.

The lady exorcist stifled a giggle. "I take it you didn't want to play, Inspector?"

"Certainly not." He turned to her. "Nor am I particularly fond of card games. I'm much more partial to chess."

"Funny, so is Johnny." Miss Lee smiled as Walker finally caught Kanda in the act, turning around completely to confront him. Meanwhile, Bookman Jr., Lord Krory, and Han dove toward the unattended deck and fished out all the good cards they could find. "Perhaps you two should play a game someday."

"Perhaps, but what of you?" He raised an eyebrow and gestured toward the circle of poker players. "The game isn't over yet. I'm sure they would deal you in if you asked."

"Why, Inspector," The young woman flashed a devilish grin, "I had no idea you were so eager to see me without my clothes."

Immediately regretting this blunder, Link turned away, standing straight to attention even as he felt his face shading red, and stammered, "Th-that was not my intent! Please forgive my poor choice of words, Lady Exorcist!" God help him, and she was an apostle, too. Speaking to her in such a crass manner… "I simply meant—" He cleared his throat. How could he extract himself from this situation with minimal damage? "I thought you would enjoy playing the game as much as watching." _Christ, that wasn't any better at all…_ He risked a glance in her direction and swallowed a nervous lump in his throat.

Miss Lee had a smile on her face. "That was a joke, too. And I'm afraid I'm not too fond of cards either."

-0-0-0-

Author's Notes: Pay the card game no mind. I have never played poker, so I did the best I could with a few quick tutorials online.

And to the guest reviewer for Chapter 3, you're absolutely right, and that was the point of that chapter. Showing the Crows are sometimes cruel, but the Exorcists are not always right. (And in their own way, can be worse.) So yes, this view will morph and change as the story progresses, and that chapter will have a follow-up or two later, expressing Lenalee's regret of the way she handled that situation. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

D Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	5. In the Morning Light

Chapter 5: In the Morning Light

Lenalee stood quietly before Allen's door, one hand raised to knock, the other clasped over her heart as she hesitated. _Maybe I should get some rest before I check on Allen._ But then…she had walked all this way, and she'd already checked on the others who'd been along on the Paris assignment. Allen was the only one left, but…surely he would be sleeping right now. She didn't want to disturb him if he was resting. And then there was Link. Lenalee lowered her hand and crossed her arms. The Inspector was probably recovering from the mission as well. From what Marie had told her, he'd taken on some damage of his own in the fighting. She really wanted to make sure Allen was okay. It wouldn't be right if she didn't, and he was feeling isolated enough with the threat of the Fourteenth and Central's oppression looming over him.

And then there was Link….

Sighing, the young woman raised her hand and gently rapped her knuckles against the wooden surface. Her heart hammered nervously and, for few moments, she hoped they were both asleep and no one would answer. At least she tried, right? This prayer was quickly dashed by the sound of prompt footsteps before the brass knob turned and the door swung silently open on well-oiled hinges.

"Miss Lee." Link greeted her with a cordial nod. To her relief, he looked as though he'd been awake for some time, but she couldn't help but frown at the bandages wrapped around his head and the patch over his cheek. "Are you here to see Walker?"

"How is he?"

"He is asleep right now." The Inspector looked at something behind him, and just passed his arm, Lenalee could make out the unkempt sheets on Allen's bed as well as a shock of white hair against the pillow. "But he will recover. Exorcists Marie and Kanda are the same."

Lenalee bowed her head, feeling a pang in her heart. Marie had lost a couple fingers to a Level IV in Paris, and Kanda had been shot all to hell by the same demon and was still recovering from the akuma poison in his system. _Allen's all bruises and broken ribs, I hear._ She raised her head, making sure she looked the Inspector in the eye as she spoke clearly, "Is it all right if I see him?"

"Of course." Link stood aside, holding the door open for her. "Please, come in Miss Lee."

Three months ago, he wouldn't have done that. Stepping past the threshold, Lenalee offered a gracious nod and a smile she hoped didn't look as nervous as it felt. Three months ago, when they first met, the Inspector would've insisted she remain outside, as an unmarried lady entering the sleeping quarters of a man was highly improper. Now he simply let her in without any questions. Maybe he realized blocking her was pointless, as she would just argue her way past him. Or maybe he understood the exorcists were, despite all their differences, a very tight-knit family. If she wanted to check up on her little brother, then who was he to stop her?

Lenalee stood silently beside Allen's bed, looking him up and down for any critical injuries, although she already knew from the Head Nurse there were none. He looked better than she'd expected, not as well off as Marie and not as bad as Kanda. In typical Marie fashion, their elder comrade had taken the loss of his appendages in stride. In contrast, she'd left Kanda coughing up pentacle-stained blood and shaking like a alcoholic in the throes of withdrawal. Allen, she realized, was somewhere in between, covered in injuries yet sleeping soundly with Timcanpy beside him. Lenalee bit her lip and knelt, brushing the younger boy's hair from his face. "How long has he been asleep?" She whispered.

"Quite some time now." Link gently shut the door. "The Head Nurse gave him some painkillers to help him rest. He's been out like a light ever since."

Lenalee nodded. She'd figured as much.

"What of you, Miss Lee?" She looked up and startled to find the Inspector frowning at her in concern. "You seem to have run afoul of your own trouble on your last assignment."

The girl winced and brought a hand to her cheek, hoping her face wasn't turning red. "Oh, this? It's nothing serious. Really, I'm just tired."

"You should be getting some rest."

"I will. I just wanted to see my friends first." She cocked her head to the side as he took a seat at his desk, facing her and Allen. "What about you, Inspector?"

Link frowned. "Pardon?"

"Marie told me you had suffered a fever from the Dark Matter effects, too. Are _you_ all right?"

For a moment, he didn't answer, and a strange look came into his red eyes. Lenalee held his gaze, though her heart began to speed up and she nervously clenched her fists at her side. He looked so surprised, as if no one had bothered to ask him how he was. That was entirely possible. It was hard for anyone, even gentle Marie or herself, to forgive the Crows, but…she broke eye contact and turned back to Allen. _It's not like Link personally chased me down all those times I tried to escape…_

 _But he would have if he'd been ordered to._ Said the crueler voice in her head.

 _Shut up. Don't talk like that._

"I…am quite well." Link's voice caught her attention. "Thank you for your concern, Miss Lee."

She smiled. "Nasty stuff, the akuma fever, isn't it."

"Quite."

She was about to ask how bad it had been, when the room suddenly brightened, the clouds clearing away in the dawn. Lenalee turned to the window. The sunrise was golden that morning and the frost on the glass shimmered into spiraling, silver patterns. Outside, she could see the bronze expanse of the ocean, the waves crashing against the isle's rocky shore. Part of her wished to open the window for a better view, but a small snore from Allen reminded her where she was and she didn't want to wake him up with a blast of frozen air. The Inspector surely wouldn't appreciate it either. She loved gold and silver mornings like this. They reminded her of when Daisya used to smuggle her and Kanda out of the old headquarters, just to sit at the edge of that precarious rock column and watch the sun rising in the east. Sometimes Marie came with them. Other times, it was General Tiedoll. Or General Yeegar. Lenalee smiled wistfully at the memory of sitting together with everyone and enjoying the light of a new day.

The chair creaked slightly as her companion rose to his feet. Lenalee didn't turn, swallowing a lump that had formed in her throat as he came to stand next to her, moving the curtain further aside.

Silence.

" _Schön, nicht wahr?_ "

" _Ja._ It's very beautiful." _I wonder if mornings like this remind him of anything special._ Lenalee closed her eyes. Then again, did Crows place any sentimental value in something as silly as memories? Surely, they must. _How about it, Inspector? What was it like growing up in Germany? How did it feel to cast a Crow spell for the first time? Did you have any friends who came to the Order with you?_ But she said nothing, crossing her arms and watching the world beyond the window.

Part of her wondered what he would do if she leaned against his shoulder, just as she'd done with all her brothers at some point or other. Would he chastise her for indecency? Or would he let her be, accepting her presence on the basis she considered him family? Did she think of him as family? What did he think of her? Lenalee closed her eyes. Everything about the man was a mystery. Would she ever have answers to those questions she asked herself?

They remained in silence for the better part of a quarter hour, standing side by side and staring solemnly out the window, then Link broke the spell by turning to her, "I beg your pardon, Miss Lee, but might I trouble you for a favor?"

"Hm?" She looked at him curiously.

"There's a file in the archives I'd like to retrieve. Will you stay and watch over Walker while I fetch it?"

That she certainly didn't expect. "Of course. I'll stay right here until you get back."

"Thank you. I'll be brief."

"Take your time." Lenalee murmured as he nodded and strode briskly out the door, closing it behind him. Was it only because Allen was sleeping? Or did he really trust her that much to keep an eye on things in the short time he was gone? Yawning, Lenalee took a seat on the edge of the Inspector's bed. The library wasn't _too_ far away though. He'd probably back in five minutes.

Lenalee breathed a long, weary sigh. _Really, that one?_ She asked herself, echoing Kanda's words. So far, her childhood friend was the only one who knew, and true to his word, he would never tell. Although she suspected Marie had noticed through her odd heart rates whenever Link was around. However, the elder accommodator only smiled and never made any comments. As for the rest of the Order, none seemed the wiser, least of all Link himself. That was good, she supposed. In all the romance novels she ever read, she'd always thought it was silly when the heroine thought she would die of embarrassment. Now, however, the idea seemed entirely plausible. If the Inspector ever found out about this infatuation of hers…Lenalee would've shuddered if she'd had the energy.

 _So sleepy…_ She slumped onto her side and closed her eyes. _I really should've gotten some rest before checking on everyone…_

-0-0-0-

Author's Notes: My final update of 2016. Happy New Year.

D. Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	6. Stolen

Chapter 6: Stolen

It only took three seconds.

Link grit his teeth as the Level III's fist crashed against the wall of Miss Lotto's Time Out, letting out an enraged roar that made the lady exorcist cry out in fear. "Stay calm." The Inspector said over his shoulder. "Focus on keeping the barrier in place." He himself had arranged a number of spell strips over the translucent wall, hoping to reinforce it, but the effect was minimal at best. Innocence and Crow spell work were entirely different and, from the evidence here, not very compatible.

"You got this, Miss Lotto." One of the finders spoke up, his own voice wavering. The second finder added his own words of encouragement, but they were lost to the Inspector.

 _"_ _You can't hide in there forever!"_ The Level III roared, punching the barrier again. This time, a large, spiderwebbing crack formed where its fist made impact and a spell strip fell away. _"Give me the Innocence!"_

"This is bad." Link retreated a step, his arms still raised and a bead of sweat sliding past his eye. Miss Lotto had the Innocence in question tucked in her satchel. The demon's fist struck twice more, and he knew for certain the barrier was going to shatter. It was only a matter of when. Frantic, the Inspector looked around the immediate vicinity. Where were Walker and Miss Lee? He'd lost sight of both of them earlier in the fighting when a twin pair of Level II's made an appearance. A vicious duo, both designed with a set of vicious, rotating knives.

Link winced as the Level III struck the barrier and splinters of glass-like Innocence flew at them. Two more of his spell strips fluttered spent to the cobbled ground at his feet. _Shit…Walker!_ Neither exorcist was in sight.

 _Crash!_ This time the akuma's fist remained where it made impact, grinding its knuckles in small rotations as it bellowed, _"Trust me when I say this'll go much easier for you if you just roll over and die! I'm going to tear your hearts out and eat them while you're still standing, maggots!"_

Link tensed as the Level III drew its fist back one last time, then abandoned all hope the Time Out would hold. He turned and grabbed Miss Lotto by her shoulders, forcing her to the ground and shielding her head and body as best he could with his own. The two finders did the same, and with one arm wrapped around the trembling accommodator, Link withdrew one last spell strip from his coat. A Flame Feather wouldn't do much good at this point, but whatever the cost, he couldn't allow the monster to kill an exorcist.

Miss Lotto yelped as a figure shot out of the sky like a meteor, crushing the akuma's head and killing it instantly. "Are you two all right?" A female voice called.

It was Miss Lee, and Walker was with her. Three seconds, that was all it took for Miss Lee to bring down the Level III and save their lives. Link breathed sigh of relief as the pair landed in front of them. Walker ran past him and knelt beside Miss Lotto, who had fallen to her knees and put her head in her hands, but Link only paid him the slightest mind. Just enough as his duties required, but it was Miss Lee who held the bulk of his attention. He studied her face as though seeing it for the first time and saw there was such a fire behind her eyes. A resolve that quite honestly rattled him inside. The young woman brushed her black hair away from her face and surveyed the area around them, watchful as an eagle surveying her territory. God, had she always been this way? Had he simply never noticed or bothered to pay attention?

Miss Lee noticed him staring. "Is something wrong?"

"What? No, it's nothing." Link shook himself out of his reverie and resumed his usual demeanor. "Well done, exorcist."

The young woman patted him on the shoulder and grinned. "You as well." She nodded to the spell strip still in his hand, then joined Walker and the finders in comforting and congratulating their worn out comrade. Link remained rooted to the spot, shaken. Awestruck, even.

Three seconds, and he was hers.

-0-0-0-

Author's Notes: Short one today.

D. Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	7. Of Friendships and Martial Arts

Chapter 7: Of Friendships and Martial Arts

Bookman Jr. was not very strong without his Innocence, Link realized while watching him spar one day. In fact, he could go so far to say the chronicler seemed a mere novice compared to Miss Lee. Martial arts were her strong suit in training, true, but she had the elder exorcist completely overwhelmed even without the aid of her Dark Boots. Indeed, as the two combatants circled each other across the tiled floor, both of their feet were bare.

The red-haired apostle struck, lashing out with his right leg and aiming for Miss Lee's waist, but as soon as his foot left the floor, she had darted away and her shin lightly tapped the crook of his knee. _My God, she's fast._ Link swallowed. Had she kicked him in earnest, she'd have ruined his leg permanently. Undeterred, Bookman Jr. darted back into stance after a beat, striking again, this time hitting his opponent with a quick jab.

"Rabbit, keep your elbows in!" Kanda shouted suddenly. Link winced at the volume of his voice but privately agreed with the Second Apostle's assessment. One fierce kick and Miss Lee could have broken a rib or two, but rather than take such a measure, the young woman darted suddenly to the left, circling the Bookman as he tried to face her again. She weaved this way and that, her entire body tense in with anticipation, but still she kept to her opponent's right, barely out of reach. _She's trying to stay in his blind spot._ Link realized, raising an eyebrow. Clever girl.

The tactic worked briefly before Bookman Jr. caught on to what she was doing, but by then it was too late. Miss Lee tackled the redhead, earning an encouraging shout from the other spectators. The Bookman cried out in alarm as she made short work of him, wrestling him to the ground and pinning him in a tight hold until he was helpless. He struggled to no avail for a few moments, trying anything to pry the young woman off him, before Miss Lee asked through clenched teeth, "Give up? I've got you pretty good, Junior. I'd give up."

Link raised his head and Kanda suddenly walked passed him, circling the tangled pair on the floor. He paused here and there as if considering the chronicler's options, then conceded with a nod. "She's right, Rabbit, I don't see you getting out of this."

Bookman Jr. responded by squirming even harder, thrashing his head back and forth and kicking his legs, but Miss Lee did not yield an inch. Her lean muscles tensed as she held him, her brow furrowed in such fierce concentration Link couldn't help but feel impressed. And amused. _She looks like Tewaku._ Realizing Bookman Jr. really wasn't going anywhere, the young woman's expression softened to one akin to boredom as she waited. She even had the audacity to yawn, and she made sure her hapless prisoner saw it, too.

"Are you kidding me!" Bookman Jr. yelled.

Miss Lee smiled and shook her bangs out of her face, grinning at her spectators. The majority of the room, including other sparring pairs, were roaring in laughter now. Some were yelling for the young woman to hold him till Doomsday and some, like Marie, were advising her let him go before one of them hurt the other. Miss Lee seemed more inclined to the former, simply making herself comfortable and pretending to fall asleep right there on her comrade. Finally, the chronicler himself seem to deflate, his head falling back against the tiled floor with a soft 'thump'.

"Fine, I yield! Get off me now!"

Immediately, Miss Lee twisted in her hold, planting a mocking kiss on her comrade's cheek, before letting go and stretching her arms over her head, innocent as a lamb. Bookman Jr. slunk back to his feet and was preparing to go nurse his wounded pride when Kanda suddenly snatched his headband and darted away, shouting taunts until the elder exorcist gave chase. Link permitted himself a small smile, stole a quick glance to where Walker had been training with Lord Krory, then back to Miss Lee as she came to stand next to him. He was startled to find a serious look on her face, a frown even as she crossed her arms. Link followed her gaze to find Bookman Jr. and Kanda practicing their hand to hand skills, but he could tell even this early that if the red-haired exorcist didn't change tactics soon, the Chan's beloved science project was going to have him in a headlock even stronger than their female counterpart's. The lady exorcist must've realized it as well, for she let out a long, almost disappointed sigh.

"Something on your mind, Miss Lee?"

She was silent as she contemplated her answer, absently rubbing one of her bare feet against her opposite ankle. "While we were trapped on the Ark back in Edo, we…" She sighed. "Sorry, Lavi, Allen, and Krory fought against a pair of Noah who called themselves Jasdevi."

"I'm aware." Link nodded. "I read all five reports of the incident myself."

"Then you'll remember in mine, I mentioned some of the Noah's taunts about how we as exorcists rely too much on our Innocence and don't train our bodies enough."

"Indeed. You followed it up with a suggestion to increase hand to hand training among other more body-oriented exercises." The Inspector raised an eyebrow as the fight between Bookman Jr. and Kanda suddenly ended, the latter holding the redhead in a firm headlock as he strode across the room to speak with Exorcist Marie. "Does _that_ concern you, then?"

"It does. Doesn't it you?" She turned to him. "By human standards, Kanda's unnaturally strong and hellishly quick. If Lavi can't last more than five minutes fighting him, then how is he supposed to face the Noah again? And those damn twins aren't the worst of the lot."

 _Language, Miss Lee. A lady shouldn't say such crude words._ Was what he wanted to say but then remembered this particular lady enjoyed roughhousing with her male comrades. Link cleared his throat. "So you believe it would benefit yourself and your comrades to spar with Exorcist Kanda and other advanced combatants on a regular basis until they build up some speed and endurance more suited to contesting the Noah?"

"Kanda's the only one among us to actually kill a Noah." She sighed again, this time in resignation. "Granted, I suppose he owes his life to what he is."

That made his head turn. "You know about that?"

"Of course I do. We grew up together."

He hadn't been aware any exorcists below the rank of general were aware of Kanda's artificial accommodator status. Exempting Noise Marie, of course. Any intel from the Second Apostle Program had been sealed years ago, privy only to high-ranking officers of the Order, their assistants, and the unfortunate ones caught up in the disaster. The only way Miss Lee could have known about the matter at all was if someone had willingly shared that information. _We grew up together…._ Slowly, Link crossed his arms. "Very interesting, my lady. Exorcist Kanda's natural temperament is so abrasive I'm impressed anyone would find friendship in him."

"It's rather easy when you're alone and scared." Miss Lee smiled at him. "But we've been training together for a long time. Hard to keep up with akuma if you can't even keep up with a fellow exorcist."

"Perhaps." Link felt uneasy, though he hid it well behind a stone face. Before ever meeting him in person, he knew full well Yu Kanda was dangerous. He'd seen the Second Exorcist, the creature Central did not see fit to consider a human, fight before, both in person and through footage recorded by the Order's golems. He'd read the report from nine years ago, detailing how over thirty-five Crows had lost their lives in an effort to subdue the mad Second Apostle, Alma Karma, who was then in turn slain by Exorcist Kanda. And since then, the accommodator in question had only grown stronger and stronger as the years passed. The Chan Clan's monstrous creation lived up to its name and its purpose. Link considered himself an exceptional combatant, the top of his class and hand-picked to monitor Allen Walker, but in a fight to the finish with the Second, he was not certain he would be the victor.

"You can hold your own in a battle with Yu Kanda?"

That seemed to make her fidget. "I-I try to. It's not easy, but I have won fights against him in the past. I broke his arm and a few of his ribs once without even using my Innocence."

 _Christ…_ He'd underestimated her. He'd known she was strong from the first time he'd seen her fight, but this…this was unreal…she was…

"Maybe we should spar some time." Miss Lee stepped away from his side to stand in front of him, hands on her hips. "I don't like the idea of fighting Crows, but I think I'll be okay against you. It would be fun."

 _Fun, would it?_ The Inspector offered an indulgent smile. "Perhaps one day. You are truly a skilled martial artist, Miss Lee. It would be an honor."

The lady exorcist widened her eyes at the compliment, her cheeks tinging a slight red. "You think so, Inspector?"

"Indeed." _I think you would win._

-0-0-0-

Author's Notes: This one takes place shortly after chapter six. Chapter eight's going to be a little different.

Special thanks to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, and followed.

D. Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	8. The Reverse I

Chapter 8: The Reverse I

So far as he could tell, no one had seen her approach the table. One moment she wasn't there and they'd been happily munching on their individual meals, the next she was standing right beside Walker with a pastry box in her immaculately gloved hands, no smile on her porcelain face, and wearing the mahogany uniform of a Central officer. "Greetings, Allen Walker." She said in a brusque tone that caught everyone's attention by the nose. "I am Inspector Lenalee Lee. I've been instructed to place you under my guard to observe your behavior, effective immediately."

At this, Link shifted around the mountain of dirty dishes to get a better look at the speaker, frowning in confusion. What was a Central Inspector doing in the mess hall? Hell, what was a Central Inspector doing in the European Branch? Didn't they have better things to do? No one said a word, Lavi looking back and forth between everyone at the table before focusing his attention on the lady again. She was of average height, clearly Asian, grim-faced, slender and reasonably pretty, and possessing a professional air that was somewhat diminished by the way she kept her long, black hair tied in pigtails. But he dared not comment. Link narrowed his eyes, placing her at sixteen or seventeen years old. _Little young to be an inspector, isn't she?_ And then he spotted the two dotted scars on her forehead, one on top of the other. Crow Eyes. _Oh, that explains it. She's from the special combat unit._

"In hopes of a cooperating relationship," The lady continued. "I've taken the liberty of baking this pumpkin pie, so please help yourself."

 _Wait, what? Observing Walker? Why and under whose authority? Surely Supervisor Lee isn't behind this._

Walker, of course, saw nothing amiss in light of the sweet pastry and promptly shoved a fork into its lattice crust whilst declaring a hearty, "My pleasure!"

"Hold on, Allen!" Lavi shouted. "Didn't you hear what she just said about observing you?"

"Huh?" Their white-haired friend ignored him.

Miss Lotto caught Link's eye with a worried, questioning glance, but he shook his head, equally clueless. He may have been here longer than all three of them combined, but even he couldn't say what a Central officer was doing here. Or what exactly she wanted with Walker. But whenever an inspector was dispatched to monitor an exorcist, the allegations were always serious, that much was certain. Although…Walker hadn't done anything of note, at least nothing severe enough to warrant an investigation. Surely, Central didn't care _that_ much about the cost of feeding that boy. Troubled, Link reached for his now lukewarm coffee and drained the mug in two gulps. He did, however, promise the clockwork exorcist he would stop by Director Lee's office to ask about it once he'd finished lunch.

"There's no point." The Central woman spoke up without warning, not even raising her head and she neatly carved out a slice of pie and deposited it onto a clean plate with a fork. "This information is restricted to officers and the high-ranking exorcists and is not available to general personnel. The supervisor is not permitted to tell you anything even if you are an apostle of God. Here." Inspector Lee offered the plate to him with a pleasant, yet somehow cold, smile. "Have some."

No one graced this information with a response and instead traded uneasy glances across the table. Even Walker had snapped out of his delighted stupor over the pie and seemed to register how off the situation was. Link glanced at the pie. He did enjoy sweets, perhaps a bit more so than was deemed healthy, but the thought of touching something made by Central hands produced a faint taste of ash in his mouth. The Inspector kept up her doll-like smile, as though nothing was wrong in the world.

So Link narrowed his red eyes. "Social protocol dictates you serve the lady first." He cheekily pointed out, nodding to Miss Lotto at the other end of the table, then rose to his feet. "Good day, Frau Inspektor. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

No one said a word as he collected his dishes together and left the table, stalking toward the door with all the manner of prowling animal.

The mess hall was a morgue.

The last time it had been this quiet in here, Daisya had lobbed an egg at the back of his head, completely missed and hit Suman Dark who'd been sitting across from him. The older exorcist had gone rigid, making a disgusted face as yolk and egg whites dribbled down his forehead, before he stood up and hurled a deadly triangle of jelly-covered toast back at the Charity Bell accommodator. Unlike Daisya, Dark had impeccable aim. And everything pretty much went to hell after that. Link remembered ducking behind an upturned table with Kanda and dismally finishing up what was left of breakfast as a fierce battle broke out behind them.

But that had been a long time ago.

Link came to a halt as he reached the mess hall doors and silently crossed himself, then turned to survey his home turf and collect his thoughts. He had answers to find, and if this Inspector Lee wouldn't oblige, then he would have to turn elsewhere. The question, then, was where. If Inspector Lee's claim that Supervisor Lee—there was a coincidence—was under orders not to speak of Walker's investigation, then that man would hold his silence to the grave if he had to. That was fine. He wouldn't want the Branch Supervisor to get in trouble over this and besides, the man was likely up to his ears in paperwork considering their recent assignment. _Cross certainly led us on a merry chase, didn't he? Maybe I should blame him for my walking problems._ Link smiled at the thought and took a step into the busy hall.

A sea of countless scientists and researchers made up the corridor's traffic that afternoon, most of them burdened by file boxes, books, and wooden crates full of equipment. They must've been gearing up to study the Egg they'd stolen from Noah's Ark, the apparent source of the Earl's akuma. Link yawned as he limped his way through the crowd, scraping a hand through his painfully short hair to scratch the back of his head. If Chief Komui couldn't offer an explanation regarding Walker's predicament, he supposed he could always ask Madarao. Gossip was frowned upon in the Crow regiments, but the special combat teams were thoroughly integrated throughout Central and sometimes bored guards had nothing else to talk about. And his foster brother did owe him a favor.

Link moved quickly to the side as one of the scientists suddenly cut into his path, unable to see past the giant cardboard box in his hands. But as the exorcist's foot came down on the stone floor, his ankle gave way and he fell to one knee, gasping in pain and clutching his leg. _Dammit! Dammit, dammit. Oh, Christ, that hurts._

The scientist came to an abrupt halt and cried out as though he'd been the one who'd been hurt. "Howard! You okay?" It was Johnny. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, no." Link forced a smile as he struggled back to his feet, waving away anyone who approached to aid him. The mishap had drawn the attention of a number of scientists, who paused in their work, talking worriedly amongst themselves and occasionally asking him if he was all right. "I'm fine. I just misstepped and slipped, that's all."

"You never just slip and fall." Johnny's face fell. Or seemed to, at least. It was hard to tell behind his glasses, after all. "I didn't hurt you too badly, did I? Should I walk you to the Infirmary."

"Really, Johnny, I'm fine." But even as he said it, he began to feel the familiar ache of protesting joints and strained muscles. God's teeth, it hurt to stand. "I'm fine." He repeated. "I'm okay. I just need to sit down for a bit." _Preferably before my legs give out against my will._ Almost as soon as he finished the thought, his left knee suddenly buckled under his own weight, but before he could collapse, a sturdy hand grabbed him by his left arm and kept him up. Someone else appeared on his right, grasping his other arm and looping it over their shoulders. Link recoiled at the contact and turned to find it was Reever and Tapp supporting him.

"Honestly, Howard, you've been pushing yourself too hard since you got back from Edo." Reever scolded, fixing him with a severe look. "I don't know how you talked the Head Nurse into letting you leave the Infirmary, but you should still be resting up. You've earned that much."

 _Did I?_ Since he crippled his Innocence and in turn suffered the backlash of doing so, all he'd been told was to hang back during the conflict in Japan and on the Ark. Nonetheless, he'd insisted on fighting just as much as the others. He was an exorcist; he refused to be coddled by his own comrades while they continuously put themselves in danger. So, he'd put his 'extracurricular training' to use. Link grimaced. Was it stupid? Yes. Was it worth seeing those damn Noah brats, Jasdevi and Road, as well as that over-eloquent _Arschgeige_ in the top hat with a righteous Flame Wing in their faces? _Oh, absolutely._

But still…pushing himself to the limit like that had only made his condition worse. Frankly, he was surprised walking was still possible.

"I'm sorry, Reever." Link pulled himself away from the scientists' grasp. "If I could rest, I would, but there's something I need to take care of first."

"What is it?" This time, it was Tapp who spoke. "Tell us. Maybe we could help, or do it for you if possible."

Link shook his head. "Not unless you can tell me why there's a Crow guard on Walker."

"She's from Crow?" Obviously, Reever had heard about the situation. But to Link's surprise, the man heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "So it is Lenalee. Damn, I was afraid of this."

"She introduced herself to you?"

"No, I heard her name in passing and suspected. And now that I know she's a Crow…she's Chief Komui's younger sister."

That made Link pause and his mind flashed back to all the times he'd stood in Komui's office. Every mission briefing, every conversation, every scolding he'd heard since he was eleven. The Chief had a soft spot for him and the other youngsters, probably something to do with the photograph he kept on his desk. Link had seen it countless times, even picked it off the floor once after a stack of unsigned files had collapsed and knocked it down. A picture of a little girl who slightly resembled Komui Lee. "My baby sister." The man would answer if asked, lapsing into a somber demeanor, then he would abruptly change the subject.

But up until today, Link had always assumed the girl was no longer of this world.

"Wait, what does that mean?" Johnny asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. "Who's Lenalee? The chief has a little sister?"

"I've heard that name somewhere before." Tapp added. "Aren't the two of them estranged or something."

Reever nodded. "Yes. When Komui was recruited by the Order on grounds of academic brilliance, his six year old sister, Lenalee, was brought to Central for training in the Crow combat groups. Like how Howard here was supposed to before they determined he was an accommodator."

Link swallowed.

"They've seen each other sporadically over the years, but beyond that, their diverse responsibilities have kept them apart." Reever wore a grim expression as he spoke, no doubt concerned for his friend and supervisor. "And now it seems she's been promoted to Inspector. Not only that, she's Director Malcolm C. Leverrier's assistant."

"Who?" Link glanced at him.

"Of all the people they could've sent…" Reever sighed, then turned to Link. "I'm sorry that doesn't answer why there's a guard on Allen, but the the truth is, I don't know why she's here. Komui's not allowed to tell anyone, not even the department heads. All I know is Central is for some reason suspicious of Allen and General Cross, and it has something to do with the Ark that's hovering above the Order."

Link opened his mouth to declare how ridiculous that was, only to close it and remember, _Wait…Walker was the one who manipulated the Ark and prevented it from collapsing. And General Cross was the one who instructed him how to do so._ By that point, the three of them had been the last exorcists standing, and he and Walker had been mentally and physically exhausted by the loss of their friends, the relentless fighting that had taken place, and the general's sudden appearance. Why should a sudden, seemingly miraculous, solution to their dire predicament be amiss? _But I was there. I heard how confused Walker was about the situation. Shouldn't the testimony in my report be taken into account? Why is that being conveniently ignored?_

He cleared his throat and fixed Reever with his most earnest stare. "I need a copy of my report of the Edo Conflict."

"Howard?"

"Please? The chief's office isn't far. If he can't tell me anything about Walker's situation, that's fine. But my report I can still access." Komui always kept reports from missions for at least three months before transferring them to the archives. Unless something of interest or suspicion came up and he wanted to study them longer.

All three scientists traded glances, clearly wondering what he was up to, but it was Reever who answered, "Komui's in the middle of a meeting right now."

Link frowned. "I thought it was over." _I thought that was earlier this morning._

"No, he's speaking privately with Director Leverrier." Tapp explained, holding his hands up for emphasis on his next words. "Real sinister looking guy who looks like he's never smiled in his life."

 _Who?_ Link sighed wearily and shrugged. "Fine, I'll wait. Do you need help moving equipment, Section Leader Reever?"

"You're kidding me right?" Johnny all but shouted.

A laugh escaped him by way of a snort. "Yes, I am. Thank you for your concern, you three. It means a lot." He took a careful step back, testing the strength in his legs before turning away and walking down the corridor. "I'll see you later. Think you'll make it to dinner tonight?"

"Howard." Reever spoke up.

He paused and looked over his shoulder. "Yes?"

"Be careful, all right." The man's jaw was clenched as he spoke. "You of all people know how bad it can get with Central involved."

" _Ja._ Of course. _Danke, Reever._ " Link nodded and continued on his way. Noah's Ark. Central Administration. Walker and General Cross. The strange piano in the stranger room. What did it all mean? _Lenalee Lee._ He mused. _It's almost as though we traded places, she and I._

Link sighed and again scraped a hand through his short hair. He'd been born in Germany and orphaned at a young age. His childhood had been spent in the streets of Hamburg, begging at local churches and struggling for survival in the gutters and back alleys. His family had been a collection of orphans, runaways, and the unwanted bastard children thrown away like old worn-out shoes, left to fend for themselves until they came to be recruited by the organization known as the Black Order to begin training in their special combat regiment, CROW. But a twist in fate had left him with accommodating a shard of Innocence instead. The very shard he'd all but ruined in crossing the East China Sea.

When Komui had come to the Order, bringing his sister with him, she most definitely would've been tested by Hevlaska for the potential to synchronize with Innocence. And when it wasn't found, they'd sent her to Crow instead, like most children at that age.

 _And now she's an Inspector. Poor thing._ As soon as he was out of the scientists' line of sight, Link slumped against the wall and slid quietly to the floor. _And then there's me._

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Author's Notes: Little different this one. Alternate Universe answering the question what if he was the exorcist and she was the Crow? There'll be a continuation of this one in a later chapter.

D. Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	9. It's Complicated

Chapter 9: It's Complicated

It wasn't easy to startle Lenalee when it came to her brother. From the time of their reunion when she was ten to the present, her life at the main headquarters had become something of a carnival. Traveling between jobs, eating and sleeping, training, and the occasional haywire robot. Maybe carnivals didn't have the latter, but she was confident at least something of a similar note could go wrong. Like an elephant escaping its enclosure and stampeding into the snack vendors. Or a lion freeing itself and nibbling on a spectator. Whatever…

The fact still stood that when she woke up to the sound of destruction and screaming, she was not at all surprised. As for why she didn't immediately think it was another akuma attack, the sound of one of her brother's robots bellowing its purpose like a broken record set her mind at ease. Lenalee sighed and pulled her forearm away from her eyes, blinking wearily at the sunlight streaming into her room. She had so been wanting to sleep in today.

 _"I AM KOMLIN. I WILL DESTROY."_

Lenalee yawned, half-heartedly hoping the problem would go away on its own as she sat up. She took a moment to stretch her arms over her head, then stood and went to the door, the rings of her crystalline Innocence circling about her bare feet. She contemplated exchanging her nightgown for something more practical, then decided on the more petulant train of thought that if her brother saw her in her sleepwear, then maybe he'd put two and two together about disturbing his little sister's precious rest.

So she flung open her bedroom door, glaring down each end of the hall in search of where that racket was coming from. The East Wing, she quickly determined and set off to the right, a long, slow sigh escaping her. She had to give her brother credit though. It had been over three months since the move to the new headquarters, and only now was an incident like this occurring. Maybe, despite their current grim circumstances, things were regaining some semblance of normality. Perhaps their new home could use a little destruction. Home was always a little more welcoming with robot-inflicted gouges in the wall and rubble across the floor. Lenalee yawned a second time as she quitted the corridor and entered the exorcists' communal parlor. A tremor shook the Order then, and several strands of dust began to fall from the ceiling.

 _"I AM KOMLIN. I WILL FOLLOW MY ORDERS AND DESTROY."_

Destroy what exactly? What had her brother ordered the robot to do? Had he overheard someone talking about her the wrong way? Had Central gone too far with one of their projects? Or was it possible Komui had permanently flipped his omelet? _I hope insanity doesn't run in the family._ Lenalee thought dismally, passing quickly under a swinging light fixture and making her way for the East Wing hallway, only to nearly collide with Johnny.

"Lenalee!" The little scientist gasped, doubling over and bracing himself against his bent knees. "Y…Your brother…he's…"

Lenalee crossed her arms in the best impression of Cloud Nyne or Renée Epstein she could muster. "Never mind, just tell me where he is."

"We're not sure, Lenalee." Johnny looked so ashamed of himself Lenalee felt bad and immediately dropped the angry demeanor. It wasn't her. "The robot appeared just now…and your brother seems to be piloting it via remote control from an unknown location."

That was a new one. Usually he was standing on the damn thing's head and shouting orders like a crazed warlord. She sighed again. "Who's the lucky victim this time?"

"Regory Peck." The scientist swallowed, seeming to have an easier time breathing now. Lenalee bent to his level and patted his shoulder. "From the Central Agency Science Division."

 _Isn't he the one who got after Reever because I was serving coffee? But why would my brother…never mind, I'll confront him after I deal with the robot._ "Where's the Komlin, then?"

"Passing by the archives. The Head Librarian was fighting it off with a mop and dictionary last I saw."

"Thank you." Having a specific destination now, Lenalee took off running, the little scientist in tow. She ran all the way to the end of the corridor, reaching the main hall. From her place on the second floor tier, she could see a number of scientists, finders, and a medic or two running out onto the first floor's tiled surface, most likely eager to get away from the chaos in the East Wing. Spotting Reever among them, Lenalee leapt over the bannister and hurried toward him. "Reever!"

"Lenalee! Good, Johnny found you!"

"Is the Komlin still by the library?"

The clearly harried man shook his head, dislodging bits of debris from his hair. "No, it's climbed up to the second floor. A group of finders have tried to contain with some talismans Jiji and Cash quickly threw together, but so far all they seem to be doing is slowing it down."

"Okay, then I should—"

"Hey, Lenalee!" Hearing her name, Lenalee calmly turned to find Allen sprinting towards her with Link following close behind. And from the look of Allen's attire, a clean, white hospital gown, Lenalee half expected the Head Nurse to appear chasing after them in a rage. No one left the infirmary without her say so, no matter how desperate the crisis was. Though, to Lenalee's relief, Allen looked just fine. A little silly and a little bandaged up but relatively okay all thing's considered. He skidded to a halt beside her and Reever, smiling his usual smile. "So did Komui get off his leash again?"

 _"I AM KOMLIN. I MUST DESTROY MY TARGET."_

Lenalee lowered her eyes and let out a dejected sigh as Allen pulled her into a quick hug, patting her back.

Only Link seemed to be out of the loop, for he kept glancing between the panicking scientists in confusion and the apparent blasé reaction of the exorcists and Section Leader Reever. "Is this another attack, Miss Lee?"

"No, it's…" She trailed off, suddenly embarrassed to explain her brother's…hobby? Antics? Obsession? Psychotic meltdown? Uncontrollable rage whenever he so much as heard a whisper connecting a man and his baby sister? All of the above? As much as she loved Komui, she didn't want to explain this robot insanity to anyone, least of all Link. "It's Sir Komlin VII."

"The seventh?" Allen pulled away and looked at her in confusion. "What happened to five and six?"

"Zokalo happened to five. Remember Kom-Ex? And six…" She raised her eyes to the ceiling in thought. "That one failed miserably and self-destructed in shame."

"Robots can feel shame?"

"Allen, you tried seducing Kom-Ex during that Komuvitan D fiasco and it worked."

"Oh, yeah. Ahh…" Allen frowned. "Any idea how to stop it? Where is it anyway?"

"Somewhere on the second floor, but there's not much the exorcists can do anyways. There's a protective field around it that blocks Innocence attacks." Reever explained grimly. "We already had Miranda try to hold it off with her Time Out, but…well, the damn thing was not amused. Miranda's fine though."

Lenalee nodded in relief. "Okay, so me kicking it or Allen slicing it to shreds won't work. Wait, why did you come and find me? And how did he develop an Innocence-blocking shield?"

"I'm given to understand he studied the binding techniques of Crow sorcery." Johnny spoke up, gesturing to Link, who looked somewhat scandalized the sacred practices of CROW were being exploited for this of all things. "As for why I came to get you, we were hoping that if we found your brother, you might be able to talk some sense into him."

Reever nodded in agreement. "Right, the robot's immune to your attacks, but he's not."

"Got it."

"Okay, so do we have a Plan B?" Allen yawned.

Johnny pushed his glasses further up his nose and declared, "Well, the best course of action would be for Lau Jimin or Marie's razor wires to hold it in place while one of us scientists clambers up there and dismantles it or you destroy it. The same could be done if Timothy possesses it and holds it still."

"Sounds good, where are Marie, Timothy, and the General?" Lenalee wondered as a loud crash and tremor shook the Order then, sending them all wobbling unsteadily as a new chorus of shouts resounded from the presumed direction of Komlin VII, along with a very loud, "You want a piece of me?" from Jiji.

"Yeah…" Reever awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Thing is, Cloud Nyne's on a stint through eastern Europe and Russia and she brought Timothy with her. Marie was conveniently sent on assignment to Italy this morning."

A doomed silence reigned over their five-man circle as the implications set in. Lenalee looked back and forth between the two scientists and her two comrades, taking in the former's uncomfortable faces and the latter's exasperated ones. Allen dropped his head into his palm and turned away, kicking a pebble across the floor.

"Dr. Wenham," Link said in a voice that was nothing short of pure annoyance. "I apologize for the impertinent question, but why were you considering those angles at all if they were impossible solutions?"

"Honestly, to give the impression we gave the matter _some_ thought and weren't complete nincompoops." Another loud 'crash resounded from the second floor, followed by more screaming and possible war cries from the scientists.

Link was silent for a long time, not breaking eye contact, so Lenalee could clearly see the conflicted thoughts running behind his red eyes before he nodded, "Fair enough. So what _is_ our course of action?"

Lenalee suppressed a smile over his use of the word 'our', then turned to Reever. "Who do we have to work with aside from Allen and myself?"

"Miranda's here, but after the incident from earlier, she's a little…on edge. But Lavi, Chaoji, Kanda, and Krory have all been conveniently—so conveniently it's suspicious—been sent on assignments this week."

"Wait…" Allen rejoined the pack as that thought sank into all their heads. "Do you mean…Komui remained calm enough to think out a premeditated plan?"

"Looks like." Reever shrugged. "I mean, it's a pretty solid plan. You two and Miranda are the only exorcists in residence right now. But that's fine. For our counter measure, I was hoping Allen's Clown Belt would do the trick to keep Seven still and we scientists would handle the rest. And should we need a little more force in that tactic, I'd like to ask for your help, Inspector."

Link raised his head in surprise.

"The Binding Wings from your Crow sorcery should be able to hold their own against a robot, right?"

Everyone was again silent as they turned to face the Inspector, who's countenance had clouded over in thought. "I've honestly never attempted such a…ridiculous feat." He finally said. "But if the protective field is based on Crow techniques, wouldn't the two spells cancel each other out?"

"Is that how it works?"

Link nodded. "It depends on the spell, but with a Binding or Shielding Wing, yes. So you may not even need Walker to hold it at all, though it certainly wouldn't hurt."

Lenalee turned to Reever. "And once that's done, what then? Will you try dismantling it? I assume you guys would have an easier time salvaging parts if it was dismantled rather than torn apart by me."

Before the man could answer, another louder than ever crash resounded from the second floor, setting them all on edge. Lenalee personally was eager to set the plan into action before any ore damage could be done. And, in a rather Allen-like fashion, she was eager for this to be over so she could get some breakfast. Actually, no…it had to be almost noon at this point. So she could eat lunch.

"Well, there's always the third and easiest option." Johnny mumbled.

"What's that?" Allen cocked his head to the side.

"We just let Komui be and hope things run their course." The little scientist shrugged. "Peck is kind of a lech."

"True." Reever nodded.

"Regory Peck?" Allen blinked. "You mean that one scientist who's been bothering everyone? I guess I'm okay with it as long as Komlin doesn't hurt him."

Lenalee couldn't believe what she was hearing. "We are not letting my brother run wild throughout the Order! What's gotten into you?"

"I must agree." Link said coldly, glaring at Allen like a disapproving parent. "I expect better from an apostle. Whatever could Dr. Peck have done to deserve a…robot assault."

"It's like Johnny says, the guy's a lech." Reever explained, glancing worriedly in the presumed direction of Sir Komlin VII. It had grown disturbingly quiet over there. "He doesn't work well with others, always takes a condescending tone with everyone unless he's kissing up to them, not to mention, some of my female underlings have been complaining about some minor harassment issues."

Stubbornly crossing her arms, Lenalee shook her head. "All the same—"

"This'll teach him some humility." Reever insisted, seeming as though the idea was rapidly growing on him. "Komui won't hurt him permanently, and…well, Peck's been scoping you out since he got here, Lenalee."

"Yeah, and so has Director Bak Chan!" Lenalee shouted back, much to the horror of the men around her. "That's right, I know about those photographs, but it doesn't mean I'm going to throw him under a Komlin. Does the director of the Asian Branch 'need humbling' as well? By all means, let's unleash Sir Komlin VII into Central and let's see what happens!"

"You know about the photos?" Allen ventured, sounding almost timid.

"You're right, Lenalee, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." Reever shook himself, delivering a well-deserve slap to his own face. "But you know, I'm just as serious about this as I am when I threaten to strangle your brother in his sleep. We'll help Peck. It's only right."

Lenalee nodded in satisfaction and, with as much dignity as a young woman in a white nightgown could manage, turned to Allen and Link. "All right, move out."

"Right!" Allen grinned and broke into a sprint toward the other end of the hall, activating his Innocence and using Clown Belt to swing himself onto the second floor via the bannister above their heads. Lenalee followed close behind, her Dark Boots allowing her to leap upward, then turned to see if Link needed assistance. The Inspector had no trouble, merely scaling the wall with no more difficulty than a spider and landing next to her and Allen on the second tier.

"You guys go, we'll catch up!" Reever shouted after the and promptly turned to climb the stairs at the other end of the main hall.

Finding Komlin was the easy part, not to say restraining it wasn't a challenge. Indeed, Reever's plan worked like a charm, with the addition of Allen also displaying spider qualities by weaving Clown Belt into a web to trap the massive robot. And that failed to keep entirely still, Link stepped in with the finishing strike. Lenalee watched and waited, preparing to strike if the Binding Wings failed to keep it down. However, against his predictions, Link's spell work and Komlin's shield did not cancel each other out, leaving the robot well and truly stuck.

"This is not what I was assigned to do." Link muttered aloud, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "I'm just an inspector, Miss Lee."

"Maybe so." Lenalee crossed her arms as a group of scientists began to cautiously approach the trapped robot. "But you might as well put yourself to use. Wouldn't want your skills to get rusty, right?"

"Correct. That's why I train and meditate in my free time."

"Right, and how much free time have you had since you began tailing Allen day and night." Lenalee elbowed the man in the ribs, making him jump and shift focus for a fraction of a second. "What's a harmless robot chase or two?"

Link was silent for several moments, simultaneously searching for a retort and holding Sir Komlin VII. "You have quite an impudent mouth for a lady. But I suspect your upbringing and nonchalance regarding your brother's penchant for robots may have played a key role in that."

His words were not harsh; in fact, he seemed almost bemused as he spoke. Yet Lenalee flinched at the inherent disapproval all the same. "I'm sorry about my brother."

"Why? I'm not related to him."

"I"m sure you're thinking this behavior doesn't befit a Black Order supervisor."

"To be fair, I was harboring those thoughts during the aforementioned Komuvitan D debacle."

Again, Lenalee groaned, tilting her head back so she was facing the ceiling. The sooner she put that out of her mind, the better. She was still having nightmares of undead comrades chasing her. Granted that incident _hadn't_ really been her brother's fault, and that was one of the ultimate deciding factors in him retaining his position in the Order. Another had been the fact that several Central officers, including Leverrier, had fallen victim to the zombie scourge and, in the name of wounded dignity, had chosen to sweep the incident under the rug.

"But you know," Link continued, startling her. "I recall the way he handled the assault on the former headquarters. Weighing all the options, considering the risks, and making swift and decisive decisions. Admittedly, he and Director Leverrier didn't see entirely eye to eye, but the way your brother handled the situation was exemplary. In fact, had we a suitable replacement for the main headquarters, I'd have recommended a staffing reassignment to Central."

Lenalee turned to the man beside her. "You were that impressed?"

"Very much so." He took a moment to almost smile at her, then turned to her brother's mad creation. "I see Dr. Gill has managed to climb up there now."

Lenalee raised her eyes and found Johnny prying up the hatch on Sir Komlin's head…but before he could apply his screwdriver to the robot's main frame, a loud 'click' resounded throughout the hall. "Uh-oh."

Lenalee groaned. _Tell me that's not what I think it was._ But as usual when it came to her brother, her instincts proved correct as Komlin VII suddenly began to disassemble before her eyes, seeming to unfold and crumble in a systematic manner. Allen deactivated his Innocence with a look of dread on his face.

Link's spell strips fell away shortly after and he lowered his arms. "Miss Lee…"

"Not this again." She took a step back, watching the fallen pieces of Sir Komlin arrange themselves in straight, organized columns, until a couple hundred or so tiny Komlins covered the floor like roaches, each one staring their gleaming red eyes at them. No one said a word and everyone was too afraid to move, wary the tiny army would take it for a sign of aggression and attack. Tension ran like taut cords across the ruined hall, fueled by the silence and encouraged by the uneasy breaths on everyone's lips. Lenalee gulped. Then one single robot, this one the only one crowned with a tiny copy of Komui's beret, leapt atop Johnny's head and released a shrill mechanical scream.

Lenalee shrieked as a literal wave of robots raced towards her, weaving their way passed her feet as they spilled down the hall, through open doorways, scuttling down the stairs like a horde of angry spiders. One of the little beasts tried scrambling its way up Reever's pants leg only for the man to dislodge it with a kick and send it flying back among its brethren. Johnny seemed to shut down altogether, his lips moving in prayer as the robot battalion made its way past and around him. Allen took refuge atop what was left of the stairway railing, and Link, poor long-suffering Link, simply stood in the midst of everything, possibly looking more annoyed and exasperated than ever before. They were silent for several long moments after the last of the robots disappeared from view, listening to the alarmed screams and curses resounding throughout the Order. Lenalee winced as she imagined those little demons finding their way into the mess hall, the library, the infirmary, the Gates—oh, god, not the Gates—leading to other branches or, god forbid, Central.

 _"WE ARE KOMLIN. WE SHALL DESTROY."_ Echoed back to them.

"Okay…" Reever began. "Who's up for letting the problem work itself out now?"

A collection of uneasy laughs and groans rose up from the scientists as Johnny bowed his head in shame, "I'm sorry, Section Leader. I should've been more careful."

The senior scientist just let out a sigh and patted his friend on the back, then turned to his colleagues. "What are the odds we can round them all up before dinner?"

"How many were there?" Cash asked.

"Well, considering Komlin the VII's estimated size, I'd say we're dealing with at least a couple thousand." Johnny shrugged. "I'd know for sure if we had the blueprints, but I'll bet my T-shirt collection Komui has that on lockdown in his private lab. Probably in that 'secret' drawer under his desk and the key's in the potted plant by the door."

"Not true." Jiji spoke up. "He keeps it sewn into the lining of his hat now."

"All right, I think it's safe to say we ought to know how many we're dealing with before we start capturing them all." Reever asserted himself as leader once again and nodded to Jiji's group. "I'll lead my team in getting a head start on those robots. You take your team and locate those blueprints. I don't care if the 'secret' drawer is locked, take apart the whole desk if you have to."

"Dismantle the desk?" Link spoke up. "I'm surprised, Dr. Wenham, that you aren't considering you'll end up with a thousand tiny desks should you attempt that approach."

"Inspector!" Lenalee cried, a grin crossing her face. "Are you making a funny?"

"Indeed I am and please do not grow accustomed to it, Madam Exorcist."

Lenalee laughed and stepped toward him, ignoring how his postured stiffened ever so slightly. Without a word or warning, the girl stood on her toes, leaned up, and planted a light kiss on his cheek. "You did well." Then to make it fair, she turned and did the same to Allen, who smiled and thanked her. _Hard to embarrass a boy who'd been kissed full on the mouth by a Noah girl, I suppose._ She thought as she stepped away and turned back to Reever. "Do you want me with your team or Jiji's?"

"Neither." The man turned to her. "I'd like you to track down that brother of yours. See if he has on off switch for these little bastards."

"Or a self-destruct button." Allen added as he swung himself off the railing and made his way in the direction the robots had gone. "If we don't finish this soon, then I'm going to start missing meals."

"Well, we can't have that." Link sighed as he followed him.

Lenalee grinned as he passed her, but he avoided her eyes. The young woman turned her head in astonishment. _Was he…?_

"All right, let's get going." Reever's voice interrupted her thoughts. "We'll see you in a bit, Lenalee. Good luck."

"Same to you." She murmured as she watched Allen and the Inspector disappear down another corridor before turning away and stalking barefoot through the wreckage. _Now where could my brother be hiding?_

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Author's Notes: And then a robot ate them. Also, longest chapter so far.

D. Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	10. Fever

Note: This one takes place a little after Chapter 6.

Chapter 10: Fever

He didn't remember much after falling down the front steps of the Hearst Orphanage. In fact, his last coherent thought before a sudden lightheaded sensation sent him tumbling headlong toward the stairs was, _Oh, right, I was infected by the Dark Matter, too._ Someone caught him before he hit the stone steps, of that much he was sure. Judging from the volume of his voice, it must've been Walker, but all sense of awareness faded within moments, so he couldn't be too certain.

The most he recalled from that point was a collection of delirious images too vague to be considered memories. He remembered staring at the hospital's white and green striped wall paper as it faded in and out of focus. He remembered the pressure in his throbbing skull and the almost unbearable aching in his joints, like influenza tenfold. Someone had been there holding his hand, although that part might've been his imagination. _"Is he going to be okay?"_ A question asked by a female voice. Had that been Miss Lee? Why would it have been? She hadn't accompanied them on the Paris Assignment. She was in…she was… More throbbing. A heavy weight on his chest. Unimaginable, aching pain. "—him, he's going to hurt himself!" Dry throat. Burning alive. Pain. Pain. Pain.

Walker! Where was Walker? He had to complete his assignment… And Madarao…why was Madarao able to bring down…akuma…

" _Link!_ "

The voice that screamed his name sounded far away, as though it were echoes across a wide chasm rather than the actual source. Was that Walker? Where? Why did it hurt so much? He was burning up and it was killing him. _Forgive me, Director._

" _There he goes again._ " A male voice grumbled.

Then cold. Something mercifully cold touched his forehead, pressing into his skin and spreading across his face. A smooth hand with long fingers brushed across his cheek, and he opened his eyes to nothing. There was only darkness and a collections of vague, echoing voices overhead before he slipped further into the void. His dreams were stranger things. Of cats with three legs and torn ears staring at him in judgment. Of running from room to room in a frantic search for something, or someone, he couldn't find. Shattered glass strewn across the cold, tiled floor, bloodying his bare feet with every step. And the body of a dead exorcist lying in his path, black uniform drenched and Rose Cross splattered with blood. In a panic, he turned to identify the fallen soldier, only to find he, or she, did not have a face. Only two faint indents where their eyes should have rested, a shallow bump where a nose would have been, and a line of sutures sewn across the nonexistent mouth.

And then it was over. Link opened his eyes to the sight of a glaringly white ceiling. Light was streaming in through the window beside his creaky bed, and when he turned, he caught sight of a shock of black hair resting on folded arms. Terror gripped him by the heart. How long had he been unconscious? Was the new accommodator safe? Where was Madarao? He needed to speak with him as soon as possible. What happened to the—this last thought was interrupted by a fit of coughing, which grew quickly in both violence and intensity.

"Finally coming back to us, Link?" Walker appeared leaning over him, a relieved smile crossing his bandaged face.

"Thank goodness." The woman from the orphanage—Emilia, was it?—appeared beside the boy, a soft, if rather tired, smile on her face. "How are you feeling, M. Inspecteur?"

A powerful sense of déjà vu washed over Link, and it occurred to him how little he would remember of this mission when he filed his report. Between the fever now, his time as a doll, and that truly mortifying possession on the Louvre rooftop, he certainly had a large fraction of lost time to contemplate. "Where am I, Walker?" He asked groggily.

"The infirmary at headquarters." The young exorcist explained as he sat down again, this time on his bedside. "You passed out as we were leaving, and so we brought you to here with the Prioress and all the children."

 _Right. That's what happened._ Link closed his eyes and took the deepest breath he could manage without triggering another fit of coughing. "Is everyone else okay?" _Am I okay?_

Walker nodded. "The scientists are back at the orphanage now looking for more clues to the barrier, Marie's resting up in his room, the last girl's fever broke about an hour ago, so the medics can finally rest easy."

"And Kanda and the rest of the orphanage staff?"

"All fine, except the soul brokering nun, of course." Here, the boy frowned. "Never thought I'd say that. Let's see…Miss Emilia's shoulder's going to heal up okay. The other staff members got out mostly unscathed, and Kanda's been helping the medics all night, so he's taking a break too."

At that, Link realized who was using the edge of his bed as a pillow and looked down to find a thoroughly exhausted Chang creation passed out against the mattress, covered by a heavy blanket. Exorcist Kanda looked as though he'd run a marathon, turned around, and ran it again and up several flights of stairs before dropping dead in the infirmary. If not for the curve of his spine rising and falling with every breath, Link might've assumed the Second Apostle was dead.

"He's been like that for a good two hours now." Walker nodded. "It kinda reminds me of when my left arm…broke. When I woke up in the Asian Branch, Fou was asleep at my bedside just like that."

"He was helping the medics you said?" Link turned to Walker.

"Yeah, hard to believe." His charge shrugged, and the Inspector noticed Timcanpy wasn't with him. "Apparently, he's got a soft spot for sick kids, and when you started thrashing last night, he came running pretty quick."

 _Thrashing?_

"I tried to hold you down myself, but you pummeled my ribs pretty good." Walker laughed sheepishly and winced, bringing a hand to his bandaged chest. "But we're all fine, you're going to be fine, Miss Emilia here announced her intention to join the Black Order this morning, so I think Captain Galmar might need therapy, and that's that." The young woman reddened. "Everyone's going to be all right."

"What happened to Dr. Wenham's Crow escorts?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Walker crossed his arms. "I've got some questions for them, too."

Exorcist Kanda raised his head at that moment, possibly looking worse than Link felt. His hair was unkempt, his face was pale, and several strands had escaped his ponytail. As he looked at them, his dark eyes were hollow and fatigued and almost those of dead man, "That makes all of us then."

"I thought you were asleep." Walker mumbled.

"I'm sorry if we woke you." Miss Galmar said.

The elder exorcist yawned and acknowledged no one, as he usually did, instead addressing Link, "I don't suppose you know anything about the corpse eater?"

Link closed his eyes and chose to ignore that one, and even if he knew anything about Madarao, the Second Apostle surely knew he wouldn't be permitted to say. As expected, neither Kanda nor either of the others pried, and the silence that spread amongst the four of them was uncomfortable and long. Walker fidgeted uncomfortably while the Second Apostle seemed to retreat into his own world. Or maybe that was just the fatigue. It suddenly dawned on Link that Kanda probably hadn't slept in quite some time. At least not well. After the 'incident' at the Louvre, Captain Galmar _had_ intended to apprehend them on the grounds of 'obstruction of justice', so the temperamental exorcist had taken matters into his own hands. By way of suddenly grabbing Link and Walker and leaping off the museum roof with no more warning than a brusque, "Brace yourselves."

Link remembered a strong but relatively brief sense of gravitational terror, followed by a sickening crunch, and Marie, the ever patient and gentle accommodator, swearing in alarm. His words, however, were nothing compared to the storm of curses Kanda unleashed in light of his shattered legs. He and Walker had landed virtually unscathed, but one look at the blood in the snow and the numerous compound fractures told them they were in for a long, _long_ night. After carrying him back to the inn—and Kanda was a lot heavier than he looked—they spend the next eight hours waiting for him to regenerate. Marie was furious. Walker actually seemed worried. Link couldn't remember the last time seeing an exorcist in that much pain. In the end, he had taken it upon himself to use the CROW spell work to lessen the pain as much as he could—oh.

He raised his head to meet Kanda's black eyes. "So that's why you're here. You're returning a favor, aren't you, exorcist."

The being Central regarded as less than human frowned in confusion for a moment, then abruptly glared and turned away, "I only helped you because I didn't want to explain to Leverrier why his favorite Crow was dead. Nothing else."

"Thank you." Link nodded nonetheless. "I'm sure it wasn't easy for you, considering your dislike for me and my division."

Exorcist Kanda said nothing.

"You do look terrible, though."

"Tell me something new." He groaned and began coughing violently into his hand. Link winced at the sound of it. Fluid, as though there were a thick sludge in his lungs trying to crawl its way up through his throat. As the exorcist pulled his hand away, there was blood cupped in his palm, dark red and stained with pentacles. "Ah, hell."

"Mon Dieu!" Miss Galmar ran around the foot of the bed to join the Second Apostle. "Are you all right? Should I call the nurse?"

"It's fine." He clenched his hand and unsteadily rose to his feet. "I just need to lie down for a time, and now that Two-Spots here is out of the woods, I can do that."

The woman would not be deterred. "You're coughing blood, monsieur."

"I said I was fine." Kanda snapped.

"Kanda!" Allen raised his voice, startling all of them. "She's only trying to help. Leave her be. I'm sorry about him, Miss Emilia. He's…" He fumbled around for a word that was both accurate and polite. "…shy. Like really shy. Plus, he's been up all night and most of last night, too, and—"

Link felt his spine stiffen as Kanda raised his head in anger, but rather than lash out at his comrade, he angrily turned away. "God, I'm too tired and sick to do this right now. I'll get back to you later, Sprout."

He again began coughing into his hand, and Link knew without asking there was blood. Was this how his regeneration abilities always processed the akuma poison? By expelling it in such an unpleasant manner? Link forced himself upright, ignoring the dizzy feeling in his head. "Exorcist! Please, don't strain yourself. Go to your quarters if you must, but at least let Miss Galmar walk you there." He wavered, taking a breath to steady himself. "It can't hurt. You look worse than I do."

The young woman took a step forward and Kanda looked her up and down, as though assessing her for some critical mission. Link closed his eyes as the throbbing in his head grew worse, then carefully lay back down, breathing hard from the sudden exertion. _I must be worse than I thought._ He thought as he cracked his eyes open again. Neither Kanda nor Miss Galmar had spoken, but the exorcist was scrubbing his hands clean in the sink and clearly choking back another cough. The woman was standing behind him, one awkwardly crossed over her sling, but she took a wary step back as the black-haired man turned off the faucet and dried his hands.

"All right." He said. "It can't hurt." As he made his way to the door, Miss Galmar tailing behind, he looked back. "Go back to sleep, Inspector. I'll ask Lottie to send someone to check on you soon."

"What about Walker? He can't—"

"You are in no position to ask for the moon right now." And with that, he was gone, his hacking cough echoing down the corridor. Miss Galmar lingered just enough to thank Link for his part in saving the children before hurrying after him, her heels clicking.

Link sighed and turned his head away from Walker, only to find Timcanpy curled up on his pillow. "Oh, there you are."

"Sorry?" Walker looked at him.

"Nothing." He cleared his throat. "How long were they here?"

His charge gave it some thought, then shrugged his shoulders. "Awhile, I suppose. Miss Emilia was recovering in her own room down the hall and Kanda was in the main ward next door with the children." Walker lowered his eyes in…what? Dejection? Shame? "When you started thrashing in your sleep, I yelled for help and Kanda was the one who came running. A couple of the medics and the Head Nurse did, too. The commotion woke up Miss Emilia, so she came in, too. When she found out how bad it was, she was afraid she wouldn't get to thank you, so she spent the rest of the night checking up with you, the Prioress, and all the children."

"Was it that serious, Walker?"

"Marie told me Kanda could…oh, I don't know, somehow _transfer_ his regeneration to others."

 _He can._ It was not intentional he was designed that way, but he'd read the mission reports where it came into use and saved a life here and there. Except how effective could it have been here, what with him being infected by akuma virus himself? Was that the reason he'd been fighting so hard alongside the medical staff to save the children? Link opened his eyes. Had he…drawn the virus out of all of them, assimilating it unto himself? _Fool! He knows his abilities are wearing down, and yet—_

"He says he didn't feel like explaining to Leverrier why you died, but you want to know something?" Walker smiled at him. "I'm pretty sure he knows how Lenalee feels about you."

Link suppressed a pained groan. _That's hardly a reason to nearly kill himself at such a crucial point in the war._ No doubt Central would have something to say about that, and Link…he sighed. Whatever his reasons, Kanda _had_ saved his life, and possibly the lives of all those children, as well. That in of itself couldn't be ignored. Then it dawned on him what Walker had said. "Miss Lee is an apostle of God." He said aloud. No need for him to know about the situation or the Second Project. "And why should Exorcist Kanda care whether or not I die on account of her?" Even as he spoke, however, he knew the answer. Hadn't Miss Lenalee Lee herself told him, after all? That she and Kanda had been friends since childhood?

"What do you mean she's an 'apostle of God?' What difference does it make?" Walker's voice was indignant. "That doesn't mean she can't like you, Link. And I've seen the way you've been looking at her since that time she saved you, Miranda, and the finders from that Level III. And let's not forget when you two were dancing together in the snow."

Link turned away, disturbing Timcanpy, who got up and snuggled into the crook of his neck. "Miss Lee is an apostle of God."

"But you like her." Walker insisted. Link heard the mattress creak as he shifted, presumably to cross his arms. "Can't say I blame you. She's quite a lovely and remarkable lady, isn't she?"

Yes, she was. And that was the problem. Link sighed. What a mess. Dissatisfaction from the Paris police, sickness in the Order, one of their strongest exorcists half-dead from akuma virus he'd inflicted on himself, Timothy's demands and the massive debt they would lead to, and Madarao. What the hell had happened to Madarao? And then there was Miss Lee. Walker had the right of it, but…she was an exorcist. It wasn't prohibited for exorcists to have…sentimental connections, but Central did _not_ encourage them. And what exactly would the Director say should he entertain his own feelings? A combination of both dignity, a splitting headache, and utter exhaustion was all that kept Link from pulling his own pillow over his face and screaming in frustration.

 _"_ _Is he going to be okay?"_

Link opened his eyes again and hesitantly asked, "Was she here by chance?"

"Huh? Lenalee? No, she's halfway around the world in New York right now." Walker frowned at him. "Why do you ask?

"No reason." Link sighed and sank back onto the pillows. "Just a nightmare."

-0-0-0-

Author's Notes: Anyone else wondering why Link turned out just fine after being turned into a doll when everyone else got sick? Yeesh, nobody had a good time on this assignment. Finger amputations, excruciating pain, the Fourteenth creeping around, fevers…I'll be nice in the next one, I promise.

Add Allen to the list of people who know!

D. Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	11. Rainclouds

Chapter 11: Rainclouds

"Gotta hand it to the construction team." Lavi stretched his arms over his head. "They sure made a kickass library."

"It's a shame it's raining today." Allen spoke up, blissfully unaware of Link's annoyance beside him. With an inaudible sigh, the Inspector set aside their half-finished report and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was hoping to go for a walk today."

Lenalee glanced up from the book in her lap and turned to the massive bay windows lining the east wall of the archives. On an ordinary given day, they allowed for the sun to stream in and provide lighting for a rather comfortable lounge, but today, storm clouds had rolled in from the ocean, threatening to break over the main headquarters.

Miranda nodded in agreement and abruptly shuddered. "It reminds me of October ninth."

"October ninth?" Timothy glanced up from their chess game and frowned at the elder woman. "Why? What happened on October ninth?"

"It's a long story, dear." The clockwork exorcist extended a hand to move her remaining bishop, then thought better of it and instead moved her rook across the board.

Lenalee smiled and reached down to pat her friend's shoulder, then looked around the rest of their circle. Allen was sitting to her left on the settee, pouring over a mess of reports with Link, who sat on his other side. Across from them on the other sofa, Lavi lay sprawled out with a book over his face and his arms crossed behind his head. He'd been like that for the past twenty minutes or so, and up until he'd spoken up about the library, Lenalee had assumed he was asleep. "I don't think the rain is so bad." She said.

"But it's so gloomy out there." Timothy pointed out. "You can't play outside when it's raining. You could slip in a puddle or get sick."

"I know, but rain does a lot of good." Lenalee closed her book, keeping her index finger between the pages to mark her spot. "My brother used to tell me this story about four dragons who brought rain and rivers to China when the people were starving."

Lavi lifted his book off his face. "Oh, yeah, I remember hearing that one. That's how the Heilongjian, the Huanghe, the Changjiang, and the Zhujiang got their names, right?"

She nodded, but before she could say any more, Allen suddenly set aside his report and turned to her. "I haven't heard that story before. You should tell it."

"Oh, I…" Lenalee trailed off as she looked around the group to find a series of expectant eyes staring at her. All except for Link, who seemed sufficiently annoyed at the interruption. She was about to say no or maybe later, when Timothy piped up his approval as well.

"Pleeeeaaaase?" The boy exorcist grinned, blue eyes wide.

The girl paused, let out a small laugh and smiled. "All right." _But only because this reminds me of when Daisya and I begged General Yeegar to tell us the story of why the sea is full of salt. Now, how did Komui always begin…_ "Many years ago, China had no rivers or lakes, and the people of then relied on the rains and sea. There was the Eastern Sea, and within those waters lived four dragons." Lenalee set aside her book entirely to count them off on her fingers. Just the way Komui used to. "They were the Long Dragon, the Yellow Dragon, the Black Dragon, the Pearl Dragon. One day, while the sun was high in the sky, the Four Dragons left their home in the sea to play in the clouds."

She continued her tale, describing the dragons' shock and horror once they saw the wilted earth and withered crops of the humans and how they petitioned the Jade Emperor to send rain to the starving people. How the Emperor pretended to promise he would grant their wish, only to ignore their plight in favor of watching the fairies dance and play their music. "He was in charge of the land, the sea, and Heaven itself." She explained. "Acting without his consent was a terrible crime. So when ten days passed and rain still had not come to the earth, the four dragons hatched a clever plan."

Her audience listened in varying degrees of fascination. Timothy was absolutely enthralled, staring and waiting eagerly for her to continue. Lavi was nodding in approval, anticipating the following of events in a familiar story. Allen and Miranda were listening politely while Link was watching the storm clouds outside. At first, it seemed to Lenalee the Inspector wasn't interested then realized suddenly, that he hadn't resumed trying to work on his report. Was he listening, too?

She told them of the dragons' plan to scoop water from the sea and cast it raining down upon the starving land, which angered the sea god. He quickly informed the Emperor of what the dragons had done, and the Emperor was furious. "He gathered his armies and ordered them to seize the dragons." She spoke of their flight through China, escaping the Emperor's men at every turn until the great Mountain Generals captured the Four Dragons and imprisoned them forever. "Even then, they did not regret what they had done, and so they chose to turn themselves to water. The Black Dragon became the Heilongjian in the far north, the Yellow Dragon became the Huanghe in the heart of the nation, the Long Dragon the Changjiang to the south, and the Pearl Dragon became the Zhujiang River in the very far south. And thus the four great rivers of China were formed."

As she concluded, Allen, Miranda, and Lavi brought their hands together in applause, followed quickly by Timothy. "Well done." Miranda said, smiling. "That was beautiful." Lavi and Allen nodded in agreement, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, no." Lenalee waved a dismissive hand. "Thank you, but that's nothing compared to the way my brother tells it. He's got a great voice for each of the dragons, and a really petty, small voice for the emperor."

"Are you kidding?" Timothy leapt up, punching a fist into the air. "Those dragons were so cool, standing up to the emperor to do what was right! They saved the day!"

"That's right. They did." Lenalee smiled. "The Four Dragons defied the will of the Jade Emperor, supreme ruler of the land, the sea, and the heavens, in the name of a greater good, and in doing so, they saved the innocents suffering at his negligence."

Allen patted her shoulder. "It was a good story. Thank you for sharing it."

Lenalee smiled back at him. "Thank you, Allen, but you should probably get back to work now. You've got a report to finish, remember?"

"Oh, right! I'm sorry, Link!" Her younger comrade snatched up his papers and resumed writing with more energy than ever. "Where did we leave off again?"

The Inspector glanced over his charge's white hair, his eyes meeting Lenalee's as he nodded his thanks for redirecting Allen back on track. Or so she'd thought. "I've never heard that story before, Miss Lee. It was well told."

Surprised, Lenalee smiled a shy smile, then returned to her own book, easily finding her page as rain began to fall against the windows. "Thank you, Inspector."

-0-0-0-

D. Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	12. Sketchbook Waltz

Chapter 12: Sketchbook Waltz

In terms of love and romance, Lenalee had little experience.

She'd seen many people, including exorcists, in love in the past, and had seen multiple different kinds of love. Man and woman. Male and male, female and female. Affection of the casual nature, devoted intimacy, even individuals who remained faithful even when their partners were no longer of this world. Once, when she was six or seven years old, she watched two exorcists, man and woman, sparring together in the training hall. The woman was short and rather diminutive compared to her taller, broad-shouldered comrade. He was a good fighter even before he became an exorcist, a former mercenary if Lenalee remembered right, but the woman had been with the Order since she was a child. The fight had been pretty even matched between them until the woman suddenly grabbed him by his coat and wrestled him to the ground. There'd been a startled yell, some desperate scuffling, and by the end of it, he was kissing her.

At the time, she remembered calling such a display, "Yucky!" But Marie, then still able to see, simply smiled at her and placed his large hand over her hair. He told her she would understand when she was older, but Lenalee had vehemently shook her head and declared, "No, I won't!" Looking back on it now, she did of course understand, even going so far as to say she envied those two. They had a companionship sort of love. Entirely loyal to each other and no interest in marriage, much to the Central Administration's chagrin about 'sinful accommodators.' That was fine. It was just their way.

Lenalee loved her brother, of course. She loved Allen, Kanda, and Lavi like brothers, too. Daisya had been her and Kanda's best friend. All the exorcists were like family. The same went for countless staff members throughout the Order.

But regarding what those two sparring exorcists shared, that was something Lenalee knew was entirely different.

"Are you going to talk to him soon, Lenalee?" The young woman jumped at the voice behind her, and she whirled around to see General Tiedoll's smiling face. "Sorry, dear, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just noticing you've been staring at our resident Inspector for a while now and it was starting to get unsettling."

Lenalee glanced across the mess hall where Allen and Link were seated over dinner, surrounded by a mountain of paperwork they were trying to work through by tomorrow morning. She'd thought it best not to bother them and opted to sit by herself, as everyone else she normally ate with was either on assignment, sleeping off an assignment, or recovering in the infirmary. As for Komui, he was in a similar paperwork predicament, held in check by the relentless Bridget Fay.

A scrape of chair legs against the floor alerted her to Tiedoll's presence again as he sat down beside her. Absently, Lenalee offered him one of the biscuits on her plate, and the General politely declined. She grinned. Tiedoll was always her favorite General, if not Kevin Yeegar. "How are you today, sir?"

"Oh, I'm fine." The man laughed as he took out his sketchbook, always working on some project even during meals. "And yourself?"

"The same." She nodded. "The cuts on my arm have healed up. I can take off the bandages soon."

"Good. So _are_ you?"

Lenalee frowned at the sudden question. "Am I what?"

General Tiedoll pointed his charcoal pencil in the direction of Allen and Link. "Are you going to go talk to him soon? You've been staring so long, I'm surprised that boy hasn't noticed yet. Those Crow youngsters are usually so observant."

Immediately, the girl reddened in embarrassment and turned back to her dinner, cutting her potatoes with renewed enthusiasm. "It's just a little infatuation. And how did you know I was looking at Link and not Allen?"

He arched an eyebrow as he looked at her, then wordlessly turned the pages in his sketchbook. Lenalee caught glimpses of mountain landscapes, city skylines, a river winding its way through a village, a surreptitious portrait of Miranda, a still life of the clutter on her brother's desk, until the General stopped at a page that made her heart stop. It was of the snowy courtyard when she'd asked Link to dance with her. Tiedoll had drawn them mid-waltz, her black coat billowing like a ball gown, a grin on her face as she gazed up at her partner. The Inspector, in turn, was smiling at her. Had he really been smiling at her that day? Or had he just been stone-faced as usual? Uninterested and reserved. A part of her wanted to ask the General if he knew, or if he'd just drawn the smile on his face because it looked artistically better. But then the other part of her preferred not to know.

She felt Tiedoll's hand on her shoulder. "So are you going to talk to him now?"

"I…I do like him, sir, but…" She trailed off, setting her fork down.

"But?" He gently prompted.

"But he's a Crow." Without meaning to, tears welled up in her eyes. "He's loyal to Central. Besides, he might not even like me at all. I mean, I _hit_ him once."

"Yes. I heard about that." The General frowned in contemplation. "Are you worried he resents you for that?"

"Maybe." She shook her head in frustration. "I don't know. Even if he doesn't…I'm an exorcist. And he's a Crow. Has any exorcist ever loved a Crow before?"

Tiedoll chuckled at her. "The Order has been around for a century, Lenalee. I'm sure dozens of accommodators have loved and been loved by Crows. And even if somehow there haven't been, there's no reason why you can't be the first." He gently pinched her cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, just as he used to when she was a child, then turned back to the fresh page to his sketchbook, doodling a still life of his coffee mug.

Lenalee returned her gaze to Allen and Link across the mess hall. Her younger brother was pointing at one of the forms he was filling out, and the Inspector appeared to be doing his best to explain something she couldn't hear. Allen nodded in understanding and spoke once more, but in the middle of his sentence, Link suddenly raised his head, his red eyes meeting her deep violet ones. Lenalee started and almost shot out of her seat, fearing reprimand for her impolite staring, but the Inspector offered a small, almost warm smile and raised his hand in greeting. The girl paused in surprise, then carefully returned the smile and waved herself before sheepishly turning back to her meal.

"Link?" Allen tipped his head to the side. "You still there?"

The Crow shook himself. "I apologize, Walker, my mind suddenly wandered. Would you care to repeat yourself?"

-0-0-0-

Author's Notes: Big shout out to Guest Reviewer 'hurryup' for their review and reminding me to work on this story. Thank you so much. This wasn't a very long update, but I hope you like it all the same.

D. Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	13. Regret and Forget

Chapter 13: Regret and Forget

She knew Kanda well enough to know his footsteps when she heard them. He had a slow, almost lazy, stride. Almost like a snow leopard prowling through the cold snows of Siberia. Lenalee never made the comparison out loud, feeling it was too silly to mention, no matter its accuracy.

The young woman sat waiting on the stairs leading up toward the exorcists' quarters. There were other ways to reach their rooms, but was the most direct route from the Ark or the training hall, and Kanda preferred expediency if nothing else. So Lenalee waited, her knees pulled into her chest and her arms wrapped snugly around her legs. She could hear her friends footsteps in the darkness, drawing closer to her location. Apprehension filled her gut and she took a deep breath to calm herself. The footsteps paused…and as he rounded the corner, Kanda pulled up short at the sight of her on the stairs, his hand tightening on Mugen for the briefest moment before he recognized the dark shape was her. She watched him tilt his head to the side and imagined him raising an eyebrow in annoyance. It was hard to see each others' faces in the dim light, but that didn't matter. He always knew.

"What happened?"

He always asked in that irritated way that made it seem like he didn't care. That was always the way with them, no matter what it was or how hard she was crying. Without waiting for an answer, her oldest friend stepped forward, turning slowly on his heel and taking a seat beside her, hand cradling his chin as he stared off into the darkness, waiting. He was good at waiting. And listening. Few people knew that about Kanda. He wasn't the best at comforting an ally, but he always listened to their troubles, and he always remembered.

Lenalee explained, drying her tears long enough to speak clearly. Kanda hated uncontrolled sobbing. She watched him as she spoke, studying his movements and what little facial expressions she could make out in the darkness. The fact this was about the Inspector startled him. Her crying over a Crow? The fact Link had said some…insensitive words on the way back from an assignment wasn't an oddity. Crows were Crows. What she whispered next triggered an actual response.

"You hit him?" Kanda's dark head swiveled about to look at her.

Lenalee sniffled and nodded. Her friend's silhouette turned away again, looking down at the stairs in thought, occasionally glancing at her in…what? Confusion? Newfound respect? Possibly both. The young woman sighed and lowered her head in defeat. "He deserved it, right? I mean, those awful things he was saying about Cloud Nyne and…" She paused to scrape tears from her eyes. "I know I shouldn't have hit him, but…"

Kanda said nothing, staring off into the darkness of the corridor.

"Why can't they understand we're humans, too? That we laugh and love and cry and feel hate the same as anyone else. We're not cannon fodder, and our comrades who've already passed on were our family. We miss them. Why is that so hard to—"

"They forget."

In all the time she'd known him, Kanda never had much to say about anything. Always watching the world with an angry face, as though it were worthless and annoying. Rarely smiling, almost never happy. Yet on those twisted occasions when he opened his mouth to answer her concerns, his means of truth was so blatant Lenalee almost felt foolish for having to ask in the first place.

"They forget," Kanda repeated. "That we're just children. Just as we forget how afraid and desperate they are. It's not that they don't care what happens to us; they just have no other way of fighting."

 _They're only trying to protect the world._ Lenalee crossed her arms and buried her head in her knees. _Isn't that the truth of this mess?_ After all, hadn't he been born from that same fear and despair?

"The Crow doesn't know any better. You can't expect him to understand because that's how he was taught. The exorcists are just weapons in their eyes, nothing else. He's the same as any other man, woman, and child behind the crimson robes. Central's guard." She heard him shift and felt his eyes as he looked at her. "What is it that you want from him exactly?"

 _I don't know._ She sniffled. "I just don't want to be regarded as just a weapon. I…"

Kanda wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "And just like that, you know a difficult road when you see one, and you take it anyway." A snort escaped him. "Really? Why that one?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out." She couldn't help but smile as she leaned into her friend. "When did we grow up and start thinking about that sort of thing?" More like when had she stopped viewing a kiss between two comrades as 'Yucky!' and replaced it with something that felt suspiciously similar to envy? Or longing? And why did she think she could find a connection like that with a Crow?

Yet she thought of that small incident in the library, when her courteous nature had won out over her bigoted feelings as she wished Link a 'Good morning' along with Allen.

She remembered the moment the two of them shared, watching the sun rise from the window.

Did this two isolated points in time mean nothing in the face of their separate views and upbringings? _I don't think so._ "What do you think?" She asked Kanda.

The elder exorcist snorted again. "I think if Daisya was alive, he'd be pissing himself with laughter right about now."

Lenalee smiled. "I meant about Link."

This time, he sighed, rising to his feet and yawning, "I think if you regret clocking the bastard, you ought to do the obvious thing and apologize. Then forget it ever happened."

Regret, then forget. Lenalee rose to her feet and followed him up the stairs. "You make it sound so easy."

"I keep things simple, you know that."

Kanda always did prefer expediency if nothing else.

-0-0-0-

Author's Notes: Bit of a short one to follow up Chapter 3.

D. Gray Man belongs to Katsura Hoshino


	14. Soldier's Heart

Chapter 14: Soldier's Heart

He'd risen hours before the first rays of sunlight even touched the horizon, intending to finish some overdue paperwork. Walker was passed out under a mountain of blankets and Timcanpy had made a nest of his hair, pushing the boy's face so far into the pillow, Link almost considered suffocation a possibility. He washed his face, dressed, and brushed his hair into a low ponytail. His charge never stirred throughout this process, for which Link was grateful. Fleeting occasions like this had become his only moments of privacy in recent months.

Satisfied with his preparations, Link pulled a small golem from one of his desk drawers and removed its activation pin. The golem was programed to monitor Walker in his absence, so it would not follow him. Then he slipped from their shared quarters and made his way down the hall to the exorcists' private kitchen, the one used by the apostles who preferred to take meals in the seclusion of their quarters. And the ones who indulged in midnight snacks without having to run to the main mess hall on the first floor.

It was only three doors down from Walker's room. He would only take a moment to make himself some tea and then return promptly. It wouldn't take more than five minutes.

Link opened the kitchen door and was surprised to find the exorcist Lenalee Lee slumped gracelessly at the table, her head in her hand and a cup of tea at her elbow. The young man stopped short, startled by the unexpected presence of another person. Usually, the kitchen was devoid of life this early in the morning. He took in her rumpled nightdress and disheveled hair, the bandages on her hands and bruises on her bare feet, and the crystalline Innocence that seemed to hang about her ankles like fetters. The tea had gone cold, he could see no steam rising from the cup.

"Miss Lee?"

The lady exorcist jumped at the sound of his voice, her slender shoulders jerking violently toward her ears as she whirled around. Link would have chided her for the inattention to her surroundings if not for her swollen red eyes and the obvious tears she scraped furiously from her cheeks. Rather he apologized for startling her and considered backing out of the kitchen to preserve what was obviously another's private moment. Miss Lee nodded and turned back to her cold tea, as she was quickly finding out in taking a sip. She immediately made a face and set it down with a sigh.

She looked so tired. What was she doing up at his hour? The lady usually preferred to rest her body by sleeping late during her free days. He could understand the need for tea now and then, but… Link glanced at her once or twice in discomfort, then slowly made his way forward. "Here, allow me." He said as he carefully relieved her of the cup and saucer and brought them to the sink.

He sensed Miss Lee's weary eyes following him and her bleak voice called after, "You don't have to do that."

"It is of no consequence, my lady." He filled a tea kettle with water and set it to heat, then picked up the box of green tea she'd presumably left on the counter. Shincha. _A favorite of hers?_ He glanced back at her blank, exhausted face, but the young woman offered no insight, just a confused stare before she dropped her gaze to the table.

"Do you have an assignment today, Miss Lee?" Link asked quietly. "Is that why you're awake at such an hour?"

"No, I—" She cut herself off, "I just woke up from a nightmare, Inspector. That's all."

"A nightmare?"

"Yeah…" She sighed, still refusing eye contact and clearing her throat. "There's this…recurring nightmare I have."

Link was silent, contemplating his next words carefully. What was proper here? It would be rude to ignore such a statement, especially when it upset her so. Yet they were only mere acquaintances, and he presumed she would rather discuss it with one of her comrades. He had offered her tea, so that was a start, so what now? Should he offer to fetch her a sleep aid? Did she want to go back to sleep after that? Should he sit with her until she'd collected herself a little more? Again, he was only an acquaintance of hers. Perhaps she wouldn't welcome such familiarity.

"…I wake up in this silent world and I'm sitting on top of the ruins of the old headquarters." He tensed as the young woman broke her silence. "There's a black sea and a black moon, and…and there's someone in the water. Sometimes it's Allen. Sometimes it's my brother. Kanda, Miranda, Krory, Marie. This time, it was…" She sniffled. "It was Lavi. And I can never tell if they're alive or dead. It's like the world ended and there was only me, and it always seems so real."

"That sounds awful." Link murmured and carefully lowered himself into a seat beside her.

Something about her description seemed strange, like she had told him about this before. Why was that? Tears welled up in her eyes until they overflowed and spilled down her wan cheeks, wherein she immediately wiped them away. Link reached for his left breast pocket to offer her a handkerchief, only to remember he wasn't in uniform. He then passed her one of the cloth napkins left folded neatly on the table, which she accepted with a quiet, "Thank you."

Miss Lee quietly blew her nose, and for a moment, Link considered placing a hand on her shoulder. That was such an intimate gesture, though. Not unfamiliar to her, granted, but anyone who touched her in such a familiar manner were her comrades or her brother. She wouldn't welcome such an advance from him…right? "W-would you like me to find one of your friends to speak with you? I could wake Walker. I'm sure he—"

The young woman shook her head violently. "No! No, I don't want to disturb them."

"Very well." Link nodded, although she did not see, and fell silent, although he knew not if that was the right choice. In a situation like this, he was at a loss, though he sensed she would rather not discuss her nightmare at length. He glanced up at the tea kettle in hopes it was boiling, but no such luck. Miss Lee hiccuped and wiped her eyes. _Why am I even here? She's an exorcist. She shouldn't be crying over a trifle such as a nightmare._ But it would be entirely discourteous to leave her weeping without offering some form of solace. She was a lady.

And a human.

"I'm sorry." Her voice came in a pathetic whimper. "I must be bothering you terribly."

"No, nothing like that, miss." Link shook his head. "Since…you would rather not wake Walker or the others, I shall sit with you if you'll allow."

Miss Lee paused, taking in a shaking breath of air to calm herself, then nodded. "I'd like that. Thank you."

"Of course." Link nodded and folded his hands neatly in his lap. "Is it often you have these nightmares?"

The young woman did not answer him immediately and her arms drifted upward to wrap around her trembling body. Was she cold? "I always have nightmares. Every night I go to sleep now, I see the black moon. I haven't been able to sleep through the night since we came back from Noah's Ark."

 _That was over three months ago._ "Miss Lee," He began. "Have you been keeping this to yourself this whole time?"

She shook her head. "No, the Head Nurse and a few of the doctors know. So does my brother. I told him. Kanda and Marie probably suspect it, though."

 _I imagine so. You seem particularly close to them._

"It's just…"

 _Hm?_

"These dreams I have of my family, they remind me of how I never had the chance to say goodbye to some of them, and I regret that so much." Fresh tears began to spill down her cheeks. "Yes…Link, I want to tell you I'm sorry. For that day I hit you on the train. And for the things I said."

"What?" Why on earth was she bringing _that_ incident up again? Goodness, hadn't they settled this already? "There's nothing to apologize for, Miss Lee. What I said to you back then was thoughtless, I did not consider your feelings, and it was truly disrespectful to voice such insensitive thoughts to our only hope. If I'm to be frank, I feel I deserved that punch."

"Don't justify what I did." She snapped, refusing to look at him. "Hitting you was inexcusable, and I knew better than that. I was _raised_ better than that."

"You hate the Crows, don't you, Miss Lee?" He nodded in understanding. "Just as you hate Central?"

"That's no excuse. I knew better and I did it anyway." She dried her eyes and blew her nose again. "And I want to tell you how sorry I am. Just so…"

He let her thoughts trail off unvoiced, unwilling to finish the sentence for her. Had she truly been bothered by such a trivial thing this entire time? Perhaps not so much a trifle to her, and yet…it really was something she didn't want on her conscious should the worst happen to him. Him of all people. And a Crow. The idea of it was almost touching in its own way.

He opened his mouth to speak but rather took notice of the tea kettle boiling on the stove and hurriedly stood. The lady exorcist said nothing as he poured the scalding water into a clean cup and added the tea leaves to the strainer, then strainer to cup. Immediately, the water began to darken to a mild amber with a sweet aroma. _Shincha, right?_ Making a mental note to try this blend for himself at a later time, he picked up the tea by the saucer and brought it back to where the lady was seated.

"Miss Lee." She looked up at him curiously. "I forgive you for your actions that day. A trifle such as scolding an ally for his callous words should be the very least of your concerns right now. Please don't distress yourself over that matter any longer."

Her eyes watered again before she seemed to compose herself, lowering her eyes in a nod. "All right."

Link swallowed and continued uncertainly. "I…I do not wish for you to be troubled so. Since that day when you saved Miss Lotto, myself, and the finders from that Level III, I've…grown fond of you." The lady said nothing, her eyes widening and her delicate jaw tightening. Taking her reaction for indignation, Link felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment. "Forgive me, I've said too much."

"No, no! It's fine. I just didn't expect…" Quickly, she averted her eyes and scrubbed a hand across her still damp face. "…thank you. That…that was a very kind thing to say, Inspector."

A kind thing, huh? He was not kind. He couldn't afford to be. Not as a Crow. Nor as an Inspector. Yet at her words, he smiled. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little, yes." She picked up the tea cup (not in the delicate way a lady did, he noted) and took a sip, sighing quietly. "Thank you for talking to me."

"It was my pleasure, my lady." With a glance to the clock on the wall, he added, "I would recommend returning to your quarters soon, though. You should be resting."

"Fight, train, rest." The lady smiled wryly. "Is there nothing else to the life of an exorcist?"

"I used to think so. But you've helped me see otherwise."

-0-0-0-

Author's Notes: Almost confession but not quite there. So close.

D Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


End file.
